The reader Eds told Stomp that the photo was posted on Facebook group 'Filipinos in Singapore' by a netizen. She also informed us that the image was posted on All Singapore Stuff. The post, however, has since been taken down.Espina alerted Stomp to an article on Trending News Portal saying that the domestic helper was made to sleep outside the house while the employers were on holiday. According to the article, the maid's employers did not want her to stay in her apartment while they were away.The maid's employers have stepped up to provide an explanation of what happened after the photo made its rounds online. According to a report by Shin Min Daily News, the family had been on a vacation in India during the time of the incident.When reporters spoke to the maid at the condominium, she said: "It was all a mistake. "I thought they (employer and family) were returning back to Singapore that night (Jun 18), so I chose to wait at the corridor. "I did not want to trouble anyone else, so I just slept on the corridor that night." She later found out that her employers did not receive a message that she had sent them. The patriarch of the family also said: "The rumours online aren’t true at all. They’re completely baseless accusations. We did not ill-treat our maid at all."He added that he and his wife had received his maid’s message on Monday morning (Jun 19), telling them that the photo had gone viral online. However, the family was still in India then. He added: "When we saw how out of hand the situation had become, we contacted the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) immediately to schedule an appointment."The moment my wife and I touched down in Singapore this morning (Jun 20), I brought maid to MOM to clarify the matter. "MOM is still investigating the mater and the moment that ends, we will publicise that we are innocent."Don't treat maids as just tools, 20 Apr 2017, Straits TimesThere are many organisations in place to support the 200,000 domestic helpers in Singapore (Lessons in life and love from our domestic helper; April 9). The problem lies with the employers.Singaporean employers tend to stereotype maids as uneducated people who are fortunate to find jobs in Singapore, and who should therefore be grateful. This explains why they expect the helpers to be totally obedient, to the point of enduring inhumane treatment. (Winter: so young yet know how to twist the facts. He is still living in ancient time thinking FDWs are submissive, easy for Employers to manage/work with for 2 good years ... good life to have them, without vomiting tonnes of blood - constant giving in to FDWs)Measures to help maids protect themselves will not be effective unless people realise what the real problem is - the objectification of domestic helpers. Indeed, employers should not view their helpers as merely working tools. These helpers are human too, and deserve to be appreciated too. Some of them have big and beautiful dreams, and being a domestic helper is just a stepping stone for them.Wang Yihan, 16, Secondary 4 student^^^^^^^^^^^^^Nov 2016Extracted from Facebook post by Jolovan Wham, Maid ActivistA day off for a domestic worker should be 24 hours. She should be able to do what she wants, including leave the house at midnight, and come back by midnight the following day. This is an international labour standard. Employers need to start getting used to this idea.Too many are leaving the house at 9am and coming back by 6pm or even earlier. And they still have to do chores when they return! This is time off, not day off. But the law is silent on this matter. We need to advocate for a 24 hour day off! Also, what a domestic worker does on her day off, whether it is to learn how to cook and sew, have barbecues by the beach, dance in a club, have sex with her boyfriend OR girlfriend, or chain smoke, isn't really anyone's business. (Winter: Why not anyone's business? Are you mad or blinded? Jolovan Wham, you have eyes and a functional brain, how could you make such irresponsible and fuel adding comment? Don't you know MOM made employers liable for their FDWs? Remove security bond and all the strings tied to employer to make your statement " isn't really anyone's business" valid. Make FDW or agent responsible for insurance and FDW's medical check-up for pregnancy/HIV then you have the lawful grounds to say such things. Don't create unnecessary tension or purposely tried to sour the FDW-Employer relationship)There is so much moral policing of domestic workers in this country. I've been talking to many Singaporean employers (it's been a long week even though it's just Wednesday!) and it can be very bad for one's mental health!Comments:Yushida Oshin -- yeah.. domestic maid should get 1 day off, if to the extend, u have sex with your bf/gf get pregnant then suddenly u want to keep it from your employer, then u start going abortion throw inside toilet bowls or public areas, then u get infected by all kind of disease and u blame your employer. then make trouble steal their money, steal their personal items... too many cases in singapore and dont blame singaporean if give them time off or day off.. at the end of the day they are paying your salary.. so if u want to be hooker, then maybe u should u just go to geylang and dont waste your employer time paying your levy, paying your salary etc and whatever shit... u came to sg to work, intention to help your family bck in your country so better behave yourself...Tan XinRong -- Look, we paid them. If their emotion is like a roller coaster we're doom. Does the writer even have a maid in the first place ? Maid crying by the window every night, no mood to do chores, if suay suay pregnant who gonna take the responsibility? Fucking no logic siah, enjoy with friend is ok but why emphasize on sex. Some local don't even take responsibility you think bangala will ? Joke.

Lorene Solinap -- Yes it is I work here for ages and I live without it and wait for my home leave .such a moral issue people who engage in sex are irresponsible cos in Philippines they have family....

Yamtuanmudasripaduka Mohammad Faizal -- For a start, these domestic helpers are on work permits. As work permit holders there are conditions and restrictions they need to adhere to. These domestic helpers rely on their employers for the basic needs such shelter, food and salary. There are not the same as professionals from a foreign country who has a substantial earning power and abode. In addition to these factors, there those amongst them who are married withs children in their homeland. Are we saying that we should allow them to mix freely? Employers have to be mindful that at the end of the day, the wellbeing of their domestic helpers is their responsibility. It is also the domestic helpers responsibility to ensure that they do not inconvenience their employers as a result from there so called actions during their off days

Veronica Goh -- Enjoying sex is fine, but maids have to do medical check up and WP renewal regularly. What if they contract STD or get pregnant? The Maid will be the one be in disadvantage because she will lose her job and sent back home, which I'm sure this is not what they wanted since they came here to earn for their family back in their countries.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^This is one reason why employers should install CCTV if you're out to work, not at home to supervise your loved ones, whether abused by maid. FDWs have been doing lots of bad and intolerable things but activists and the Spore law chose to side and support them.With this video (click), do you still think maids should be trusted without question? Some activists like to brainwash others that to employ FDW, they have to trust them and make them feel welcome to the house! Obviously this case wasn't in limelight to shame that maid. Bad employers get to "walk and live with shame" but FDWs have the best of life, protected and have the cheek to ask for leniency stating stress, unsound, etc. Was FDW's recent picture shown? Her life exposed?Various avenues where maids can seek help, ST Forum, 6 Sep 2016The fact that there is still a steady flow of foreign domestic workers to our shores despite the pay scale of such workers in Singapore not matching up to those in Hong Kong and Taiwan is an indication that most employers here treat their workers fairly and the country has an environment with adequate protection for our foreign domestic workers ("Relationship between employers, maids a symbiotic one" by Ms Shirley Ng Chiou Peng; last Wednesday).While it can be assumed that just a small proportion of abuse cases surface into the limelight, there must be avenues for foreign domestic workers to find help when needed. It could be for instances as minor as living conditions or meal arrangements, to more severe scenarios of physical or mental abuse.

In Singapore, domestic workers have access to a wide range of social support and assistance from non-governmental organisations, such as the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (Fast), providing hotlines or helplines with avenues for recourse or remedies.Employment agencies, being the first contact point, can also help to ensure that the foreign domestic workers, especially the new arrivals, are made aware of the different channels where they can seek help when the need arises.At Fast, we provide free legal counselling and mediation services to help understand the aggrieved parties' situations and, where necessary, to mediate between the domestic worker and employer on issues relating to the former's right to proper work arrangements, remuneration and treatment. Where breaches are evident, Fast ensures that the authorities are alerted and remedial action taken to support the aggrieved party. More than that, Fast has a clubhouse where foreign domestic workers can participate in activities specially catered for their well-being in the company of their fellow workers.With such social support services available to domestic workers in Singapore, the only challenge is to ensure that those in need know where and how to access the services.Seah Seng ChoonPresident Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (Fast)

Recognise power imbalance in employer-maid relationship, ST Forum, 28 May 2016While working as a research assistant during my undergraduate years, I used to conduct interviews with maids with regard to their knowledge of their employment rights in Singapore. So I cannot agree with the assertions made by Mr Philip Sim Ah Tee on maids' welfare ("Practical reasons to have live-in maids"; Wednesday).While we may have witnessed employers taken to court for maid abuse, most of these cases represent the more severe (and often physical) mistreatment that is difficult to cover up.Many employers also abuse their maids psychologically. However, such cases are largely unreported because they are less conspicuous and are easily hidden from the public eye. For example, through my interviews, I discovered that many employers forbid their maids from using mobile phones and interacting with other maids in their neighbourhood. This deprives them of the means to relieve personal stress and maintain a healthy social and mental state.Some employers also seek loopholes that enable them to not adhere to certain clauses of the employment contract. For example, many maids are made to forfeit their entitled weekend leave in return for monetary compensation.Although this may seem fair or be the preference of some maids, most of them are forced to obey their employers' wishes. In worst cases, some maids do not even get paid extra. This coercion also means maids have less access to information and are less resourceful in countering their employers' misdeeds.Although laws are in place to protect the victim, the power imbalance is too large in the employer-worker relationship, such that maids often succumb to the misdoings of their employers out of fear. Moreover, regulations such as the mandatory $5,000 security bond often turn into "justification" for employers to actively police their maids.In the process of crafting new ways to improve the well-being of maids in Singapore, the public and the authorities need to recognise the employer-maid power imbalance. Perhaps, empowering maids and giving them the confidence to confront their employers would be a good step towards rectifying the problem. (Winter: Why confront the employers and not the maid agencies? Maid agencies conned FDWs to work with rosy pay package. Maid agencies weren't transparent about maid loans and the real life in Spore ... they are the first point of contact, not us! We, employers adhere to MOM's law - these are fixed, all available in MOM website, nothing hidden like the costs of agents which are of vast difference. Why activists so fond of bullying us? Is it because we belong to only one household 软柿子, not as powerful as a big group of activists?)Ow Yau Loong

Winter's comments on Live-out option at FDW's costIndonesia's bright idea of live-out (better perks) or no more maid supply to SporeLive-out option can improve maids' welfare, Straits Times, 23 May 2016The live-out option proposed by the Indonesian government ("Indonesia plans to stop sending new live-in maids abroad"; last Wednesday) is a welcome move to improve the welfare of migrant domestic workers.Reactions from employers have so far been lukewarm. While some laud the move for allowing greater privacy for employers and their families, others express reservations about the increased cost of hiring and anxieties regarding their obligations as employers.It is likely that, in anticipation of the increased cost associated with the live-out option, the proposal from the Indonesian government includes professionalising the training of domestic workers. The increased cost of hiring is justified by the enhanced skills and capacity.The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) should also consider the employers' responsibility to provide accommodation and a food allowance as an alternative to the foreign domestic worker levy. Families facing financial difficulties can receive subsidies to offset these costs.Some of the current obligations that the MOM has placed on employers will also have to be reviewed. We agree that the security bond should be abolished because it results in employers feeling the need to control the movement and behaviour of their domestic workers.The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics' report on the mental health of foreign domestic workers released last year pointed to the live-in arrangement of domestic workers as the source of problems affecting them: from excessive working hours and lack of days off to privacy. A whopping 74 per cent reported restrictions in their movement and 73 per cent experienced restrictions communicating with friends and peers.A live-out option not only enhances the mental health of these women, but also allows employers and their families greater privacy. Domestic workers, like any other worker, need to have their own lives: they have sold their labour but not their freedom. They should not be treated any differently from other workers in Singapore.It is shocking to suggest that the live-out option is an excuse for workers to misbehave: The misdemeanours of some are not to be taken as representative of the population. The MOM should take the Indonesian government's suggestion seriously and extend it to other nationalities. A bilateral agreement with Indonesia should be the first step to making this a reality.Tam Peck Hoon (Ms)Humanitarian Organisation for Migration EconomicsWinter: Jealousy and a twisted personality 心理变态 caused some western educated expats/activists to keep biting on employers. 喝多洋墨水的人比较腹黑? The most common accusations: maids are treated like slaves and underpaid (live in costs were intentionally not calculated) in Spore. Actual cost to employ a live-in maid is around S$1500 per month, not face value of "only $500-600 per month" unless you are telling me FDWs need not eat, can survive with air, no need insurance or a proper place to sleep, etc. Such lousy mathematics coming from activists, how much can you trust their words and findings? Fake, inaccurate ... deceiving people who haven't employed maid 披羊皮的恶狼们 假扮好人!! I am not denying some FDWs were ill-treated by employers. Their misfortune were magnified many times by media and activists causing many people to misunderstood and hate all employers. 雇主永世不得翻身 臭名远扬 人生被毁没得改过自新 News on abused employers or Sporechildren were shoved under the table or given tiny media exposure. 讯息资料被淡化或掩盖 I am sure many of you failed to notice FDWs who committed hideous crimes/acts were given leniency ... very light sentences and little media exposure to be condemned by the public.... all these were done to protect the FDWs ... the best interest of foreigners, regardless how bad they were. Spore govt is proving it adores foreigners and prepared to forgive, give chance ... let the evil doer reborn like a new person. 同样是人 但外籍人士的待遇和给与的容忍程度却迥然不同 博爱不包括岛国公民!! Sporeans who were found to be FDW abusers will be remembered and cannot start a new life as a good person. Their action also implicate their families, no mercy at all! Don't believe our govt is nice to foreigners? Read this PRC maid employer who was given light sentence and her picture wasn't shown on media! Examples of bad maids .... protected by media, no clear picture nor 全家被影响:Maid jailed for abusing baby over his sleeping blues; Reduced charge for maid initially accused of murderExamples of Spore employers shamed and condemned: Maid 'hit with hammer'; Maid was punished

^^^^^^^^^^^^^9 May 2016Winter: I have raised this in another post. Glad activist is looking into getting FDW certified and more transparency in placement/agency fee. Currently, employers are paying high fees for FDWs who claimed their source countries have trained them or bio data showed they have relevant experience. FDWs lack quality and relevant skills to carry out their jobs to satisfaction. Probably, FDWs should also be mentally screening before they are issued work permits. It is getting common for FDWs to use excuses like home sick, stressed, etc to break free. Most are self-made issues due to their unwillingness to work as FDW or unclear about working life in another country. Most have off days to unwind and mingle with friends ... yet work stress happened more than previous years when there was no mandatory off days and usage of smart phones were uncommon. These women come here with too much hopes/dreams to earn high, have lots of fun 享受花花世界 and make many friends. A lot of them are princesses, haven't lift their fingers to do housework. Employers can teach them but how much are these foreign women willing to absorb and gradually become good helpers? The Centre for Domestic Employees is recommending a training and certification framework for maids, as well as a more transparent structure for placement fees, Straits Times, 4 May 2016In the first 100 days since opening on Jan 24, the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) has handled close to 100 calls for assistance, with one quarter being disputes and reports of mistreatment. The centre, which is run by the National Trades Union Congress, has sheltered seven domestic helpers while their cases are being investigated.To minimise the chances of disputes between employers and employees, the CDE on Wednesday (May 4) recommended developing a training and certification framework modelled after the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ), as well as a more transparent cost structure for placement fees."While CDE is taking an upstream and proactive approach to help mitigate these issues at the source, a community-wide effort is required to help improve the domestic employment landscape," said CDE chairman Yeo Guat Kwang. The details of the two initiatives are being worked out by two workgroups including employment agency associations, and should be ready by the end of this year, said Mr Yeo.Some of the skills they are considering placing under the framework are conversational English, housekeeping, cleaning, cooking, laundry and eldercare. Maids would be trained under comparable courses in their home countries, so that when they come to Singapore they can easily have their skills certified under the WSQ.Meanwhile, the cost structure is meant to show the breakdown of the fees involved for both employers and domestic workers before they enter into an employment contract. "It is important for us to sort out the structure, so that everyone who comes to Singapore to work knows exactly how much it will cost them, and employers looking for good domestic helpers will also know how much they should pay for the service to hire them," said Mr Yeo, speaking at a media briefing.Businesswoman Sarah Ong, 41, who employs a domestic helper from Myanmar, Ms Sui Men, 25, supported the idea of a certification framework. "Some employers are willing to pay, but are unable to find the right candidates with skills like eldercare, nursing or baby-sitting," she said, adding that beyond hard skills, soft skills such as cultural understanding are also very important for a good working relationship.She said that she hopes the placement fees can be lowered for both maids and employers, although she would not mind footing a bigger proportion of the bill "if I have a quality helper who will stay on and is committed".CDE representatives met with key government officials, recruitment agencies, non-government organisations and training providers in the Philippines and Indonesia in March and April respectively, as part of the centre's research into the two initiatives.It also recommended employers crediting maids' salaries directly into their bank accounts, and taking up medical insurance schemes which provide higher coverage for domestic employees beyond the minimum $15,000 per year. It said that it had found that most employers are not told by agents how much medical coverage they are paying for, as the insurance premiums are combined with the security bond and personal accident insurance.Mr Yeo said the centre is also in the process of applying for Institution of Public Character status for its Domestic Employees Welfare Fund, which will allow it to issue tax deductible receipts to donors. The fund will provide support for maids who need help, for example if they have been abused and need shelter and food. The CDE will launch an in-depth survey within the next month to study the issues in the domestic employment landscape. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^Extracted from forum: On 27Dec maid asked to go church and my HB say cannot coz she just had off day but say will talk when he come back. Mil went back to room to rest and me and my son still sleeping. She left the house. Did not go to agent and we reported police. Next day I called and found her at HOME@Lucky Plaza. HOME called me after interviewing her and say why no privacy coz I had a camera in my son room. It was there all along to see if my son misbehave. And I have told her not to change clothes in the room. It is a shared room so even no camera at night my son also in the room. I was shocked why HOME protected them and just listen to one side of the story as if I ill treat her. Quite piss off I have to buy air ticket send her home. They do not even let her go agency and only keep asking if we have bought air ticket. Tell us send over her luggage make sure nothing is missing!!! Excuse me I have not even check her handbag which she brought out when running away. Who will steal whose things? She had it all planned as the day before she asked my HB if we going market the next day. Really sick of these cunning maids. They are so good in acting innocent and twist around facts. We good employers are totally not protected. Maid come 1 day and want go home we pay. In correct biodata also we bear. Everything also we pay. Agency and their association only say one word "Luck". And MOM ask us go after agent. Nobody protect us at all. Very unfair treatment. Only blame we nothing to do only pay for trouble.^^^^^^^^^^^^^Read Activists' comment, extracted from FacebookSome blamed the maid, some blamed the father. Although the maid has gone off but anything can happen before she went off. I have seen TV shows of skilful/cunning people, not present during incident but he/she is the culprit. Indonesian maid to be charged over child's death, Straits Times, 10 May 2016An Indonesian maid will be charged today over the death of a toddler in her care. Maryani Usman Utar, 30, was arrested after one-year-old Richelle Teo Yan Jia was found unconscious by her father at home on Sunday morning with bruises on her neck and head. The girl's lips had turned purple, and she was pronounced dead in hospital.

The police, who received a call for assistance at 9.20am, said Maryani will be charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. She was not home when the baby was found unconscious as it was her day off, reported Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao. Police arrested her in the Marina Bay area later that day.Yesterday afternoon, police officers took her to the Housing Board flat where she worked in Simei Street 4 , her wrists and ankles in restraints. According to the family, Richelle's father was praying in the bedroom while she slept on the morning of Mother's Day. Her mother and older brother were out at the time.After he finished his prayers, Richelle's father tried to wake her but found that she was unconscious. Worried, he took the toddler to Changi General Hospital. But she could not be saved and was pronounced dead at 10.08am. Richelle's grandfather, Mr Teo Xiong Kun, 81, told Lianhe Wanbao that his family had repeatedly tried to call the maid after the incident, but she could not be reached. She had been out since around 8am. The police eventually found her. She is believed to have worked for the family for more than a year. It was her first job in Singapore. Around 10 members of Richelle's family were at the mortuary yesterday to identify her body, reported evening daily Shin Min Daily News. They included her parents, elder brother, aunt and grandparents. They took with them some clothes, pink shoes and a toy. Her aunt told the Chinese newspaper that Richelle's brother had yet to understand that his sister had died. She also said that relatives often visited Richelle's family in Simei during weekends. Richelle celebrated her first birthday about six days ago, said Mr Teo.Last December, an Indonesian maid was sentenced to 10 years' jail for killing her employer's 76- year-old mother-in-law by smothering the woman with a pillow while she was sleeping.Facebook comments:Shalini Shroff -- There is no justification for killing a defenceless child. The maid was a caretaker and she breached her duties. Regardless of reasons be it employer was abusing maid, the maid as a grown up had the option of leaving her job instead of murdering the baby. I wish you nothing less than hell.

Anne M M Seow -- I hope that the maid will be given the most appropriate punishment for killing an innocent life! She shouldn't have taken her problems out on this poor child!

Joanne Sobrielo Lim -- Well said. The maid is an adult with options,even in the face of abuse or mistreatment by her employers. But the child is totally dependent on his caretakers and totally defenceless. There's simply no excuse for this crime. Justice must be served.·Calvin Pillai -- Shalini shroff.And concluding early into the case as,"culpable homicide not amounting to murder" is unjustifiable enough".This warrants a jail term of up to 10years. Im not surprised...when it comes to a defenceless child being killed by a foreigner, the initial charge is culpable homicide. And it usually applies only when a woman is concerned.If it was a sinkie, you can rest assured tht the initial charge would be under section 300A murder.Im not really surprised early into the case that the non capital charge was put forth, before an autopsy has been concluded as of yet?

Shalini Shroff -- Calvin Pillai The maid has been arrested? The baby is dead? Why? You think there's a possibility that the maid is innocent? How so?

Tay Jooking -- Shalini Shroff, this is the beauty of jurisdiction. It allows every accused to be given the best defence in trial before it could be sentenced instead of being abandoned by everyone like you.

Albtross High -- Fair justice should be done.A lost of a life and a lost of a child.Breach of trust.The agony that the child went through .The agony that parent and brother not included other family member which can lead into depression.

Calvin Pillai -- Tay JookingI understand where you are coming from.However, the case hasnt even gone on to the trial stages yet. Its still under investigative stages and police will sumbit to Prosecutor of their intention to charge under culpable homicide.Usually dpp proceeds with the police recommendation and in rare cases it gets upgraded to section 300A. Ive never heard of such an upgrade before.Ive only heard of downgrade of the initial sumbission.

Aikawa Nakamura -- Read the news properly. The maid was NOT in the home on mother's day to have committed the crime (it was her OFF DAY). In fact, the dad (father of the baby) was at home. She could be proven innocent. The news was written in such a way to distort facts and deceive, so as to rake in high readership and sales.

Jeremy Hu -- Yup if maid was not home on that day, then whoever else was at home then should also be investigated

Joyce Chen -- i think it will be even more sensational if father is the killer. dont argue for the sake of doing so and dont blame the media for nothing

Aikawa Nakamura -- Calvin Pillai: This is still undergoing investigations, so you cannot immediately accuse the maid of committing anything.Don't forget, there have been past cases of fathers raping their own babies and then putting the blame on their domestic helpers. The father is also a suspect. There are many sick men out there who rape or murder their own children.

FengquaN Koh -- It will be hard to imagine if the father is the killer. Before she left the house at 8am, she could have already killed the child.And her refusal to answer any calls from the family is suspicious as well.

Rhapsody Hues -- For those of you who are blaming the employers again as a justification for the maid's actions, shame on you for not even having the heart to sympathise with the child's grieving parents or the defenceless child whose life had been taken away. How will you feel one day if your child or loved one is killed by a maid and people are falsely accusing you of ill-treating the maid when you have not. In the first place, is not even proven that this maid was ill-treated in any way. Secondly, no one forced the maid to come here to work. In Singapore, many of us work for 7 days a week too due to conference calls etc.. Does that mean we kill our employers? Hence stop defending maids for the sake of defending them. They deserve to be treated fairly, and so do employers. Fair and square. The law must protect both maids and employers too. No doubt there are employers who ill-treat maids. But till date, there have been NO reported cases of employers killing maids. Conversely, we hear maids killing employers and children. See the difference? Maids must not be protected and defended to the extent that they think they can get away with anything just by claiming depression.

Aikawa Nakamura -- Read the news properly. The maid was NOT in the home on mother's day to have committed the crime (it was her OFF DAY). In fact, the dad (father of the baby) was at home. She could be proven innocent.
The news was written in such a way to distort facts and deceive, so as to rake in high readership and sales.

Huizhi P Peko -- Aikawa YOU need to read the news properly. The baby was found motionless at 9.20am. The maid had gone out BY 9.20am but the article didn't say she was out the whole night so what makes you think the maid couldn't have done it first thing she woke up before she went out?

Tania Willcox Grose-Hodge -- Rhapsody I totally agree that this is very tragic and the only victim here is a beautiful defenceless child but I think what most people are trying to say (myself included) is the article is written in a ways that creates suspicion that perhaps the maid may not be at fault. The facts that the ST list make many of us stand up and think "well hang on a minute, the maid wasn't even home and she's guilty?" What about the mother? She wasn't home either. What about the father? he was alone with the child. So until we really know all of the facts we can only speculate from the written word. What should be fact here is that unless she has confessed (which the ST did not report that), then all of those present in the house between the times that a coroner will determine upon autopsy, are under suspicion.

Lyn Woods -- The article said they receive assistant call at 9;20.... Not the maid out at 9;20.... Is not clear to everyone of us what is the reason why the child unconscious coz to her death........its true maid are not pushing to come here in Singapore to work but employer is the one to choose her helper.....for me I'm sad for both side.hope the real happen coming out soon to be fear for the victim and suspect....
And most helpers who involve into like this case did not use to be thier excuses the depression or thier illness to have a light punishment.....as I read the news....

Margaret Perrin -- It's wired story. Father was at home doing his prayer. Baby was sleeping. Usually that baby should be crying if anything happen. And Maid was her off day on Sunday. I'm not sure is maid fault.

Jude Lek -- As a father it aches me, but I still believe that human are kind in nature. Something must have went wrong to have possibly triggered her to hurt a child. May the child rest in peace

Siti Zai -- Sorry to say this but i think the story has alot of question mark.. beside accusing the maid should also blame the parents, pray so long in the room until cannot hear what happen, then the mother go out cannot bring the toddler along? This happen on sunday not weekdays. If working days i can understand

Kenny Koh -- I can see most of the people blame the parents .. there is no reason for the maid to kill a child.. even you are not happy with the job. Just ask to leave.. My brother let his indonesia maid home because her family problem back home.. a innocent life.. dun alwalys think is ill treated case.. it maybe the maid have mentally problem.. she hide from everyone.. who know. RIP baby child.

Leah dela Cruz -- I don't know why such parent can't take care your own child I give up working and everything to take care of my child I don't even trust my relatives to take care of my Child Hire a maid to take care of your house but not your child to be parents that's our job and responsibility not other..Your child now is gone.What else u can do without your child?

Jay Junichi -- Now the story goes..the maid was mentally unsound...stressful...pressured by employers...ill treating...abusing...

Jeffrey Tan -- she should be charge for murder and hanged, not that homicide not amounting to murder. That is a defenceless baby you know? Although i'm not the father but it aches me alot. how can a maid do such a thing?

Princess Chubbie -- Sometimes we treat the maid good, in return dey are Devils behind the employer back.. I'm so lucky to have a fresh Maid who really take good care of my daughter & my house... Hopefully she wanna sty.. Cos I don't trust other maid... ESP who like to practice black magic. Condolences to the parents of this lil cute girl... Rip.

Hoeden Nina -- A common nonsense happening often, maid/ boss abuse... it's brutal... don't need maids lah, do own self, more gratifying and the proof is in the pudding... only the queen can employ maidservants, no problem because there are maid managers to oversee and be in charge ! No encouragement needed... maid levies makes gov richer then got so much headaches.

Mala Vanan -- To those out there who are praying for this women god has eyes. If she committed the murder she ought to be tortured and her soul should never rest in peace. No matter what her excuse is she took it out on an innocent child. I really wish she never becomes a mother in her life. She doesnt deserve tobe a mother. Mothers pls realise a maid cannot substitute you. If your child cannot talk to a stranger then what is a maid??

Leah dela Cruz -- The worst part. The Child was Abused to death. My heart aches as a parent I'm doing everything to protect and give upeverything to take care of my Child.

Uddin Jasim -- Confused! If father and baby is at home and maid wasn't still around. How can a baby got such a bad injury without a crying loud voice. Also maid went out her off day @ 8am. So how is the baby death maid fault ? Don't always blame maid. Sometimes Man can rape a maid when his wife is away.

Wilkie Ong Keng Soon -- There is a growing distrust towards domestic helper to look after babies. The person can be treated very well, but can do stupid things to the helpless child. Govt should step in to provide readily available infant and childcare at nearby locations and make sure no such thing as no vacancy.

Nyein Ma -- Why?!?! There should be psychological and personality tests before employing a maid or a babysitter. If one cannot afford for them, better take good care of own child or if mom and dad both have to work anyway, better plan not to have a child.

Low Serena -- Only ppl who do not have maids talk a lot and do not know the stress employers have to face dealing with all these crazy maids. Most of the time employers do not torture the maids but most of the time the maids are driving the employers mad! It is often the case when employers treat them nice and they are taking advantage and they are unappreciative. These maids always think that when they come here, employers have to treat them well but are they treating us well in return? Are they loyal and sincere towards the family? So to those who have no maid but talk so much, please get one yourself and you will know what I mean.

Veronica Fun -- RIP little soul. A cute, defenceless & innocent life has been taken away, it must be extremely devastating for the family. Can we empathise with the them instead of passing insensible remarks? How will you like it if you are in their shoes? There must be enough evidence for the police to arrest the helper.

Linda Neo -- If the employer has ill treated her, she should take it on them and not the innocent and defenseless child. Such a coward to bully the helpless.

Robert Koh -- Richelle Teo RIP…… This case has more twist then what was reported here, The deceased mother suffers from schizophrenia was unemployed and faced with bankruptcy. Family are facing financial problem (reported on AsiaOne). Let wait for our SPF to complete their investigation and report their findings.

Sean Pang -- Dun understand why hurting n killing a toddler barely the age of 1yr old does not amount to murder! She should be hang!

Wendy Goh -- NEVER,NEVER,NEVER take a maid if can.Children can give house auntie take care,house can get cleaning service company cleaning per week once.Why must employ a maid at home? They are just like a bom in our house.

Deltamaris Sri Wulandari -- Its make me sad to read this kind of story tht done by my country people(sigh) again, to all my indonesian friends please think it many times bfr u make an action, if u think u cant handle the job or u cant get a long with ur boss, just leave ur job, break ur contract, its better than u put urself in trouble by hurting other people, its just not urself but it effected many people with ur action, think many times bfr u accept the job and if u decide to take the job please be responsible Kevie Syde -- Most of child being murdered cases here were done by indonesian maids. Anyway,let her being dealt within the court of law till we all knows what really happen that tempted her to do such cruel thing. Deepest sympathy to the family.

Yustanti Vanpelt -- Child abuse again n again by maid. What's going on with Indonesian maid. I'm Indonesian too, my heart broken every time I heard of Indonesian committed crime in others' countries. It seems like Indonesian people losing the nature of tolerance, passion, and morality. Rest in peace little girl.

Jesse Lam Chin Har -- Why do you have to accuse the employer? It could be due to the maid

Linda Tan -- Nowadays maid very daring.. kill owner lah n now 1 yr old kid also wanted to kill. She dont have ant heart meh... better be careful for those who have maid at home with children only. They dare to do anything if they get angry with the children. Y must she do this to a innocent kid. Is not her kid n someone kid whose mother pregnant for 9 mths. So scary....

Winner-Jhonshon Bakara -- Singapore has a good record of clean justice system. And only registered lawyers can present. She'll have a lawyer. Government will provide for her. It's her constitutional right in Singapore Ratnapande

Rose Farrellio -- Why are nowadays maids are so inhuman?? When too much of off day/freedom/social network allowed/loosen up, this is the results we employers have to face.... We - employers suffered not the govt hah!!! 😡 I wonder if they're here truly for a jobs or social visits and pleasures... May Allah protects me and my family from such evil DH.... We don't spend monopoly money on you ppl sey....... All are our hard earned money... Sucks big time!

Sylvia Haughey -- The government must implement not just medical health checks but also mental health checks on Domestic helpers, too many cases already!!!

Tan Kiam Hu -- There were several murders committed by maids on either their employers or the siblings in decades but as far as I know, none executed. Most of the murder convicts served time between 10years to 20 years. Hope this could be an exception!!

Jess Lee -- The world is like that de.. whenever there's an issue with the maid and employer... the employer is at fault de. Right!!! Stop arguing with those people cos their logic is out.

Keith Alexis -- So sad to hear this kind of news...my deepest condolence..I hope It will give more lesson to all of us...I wish those who hiring maid esp indo maid pls treat them well...they won't make like this if no big reason...to all maid pls do ur job properly...your employer is ur 2nd family u must take care of them...if ur employer not good ask them to go home or u ask ur agency to transfer killing or hit them is not solution..u come here for ur dreams...

Abdul Malik Mohammed Ghazali -- If maids know they are coming here to work, why do they have so much problems?

Clifford Chan -- Time over time we see such tragedies committed. Maids are to b treated right & fairly. They are only humans. Normally if not mentally depressed theres really no reason for killing except for abused or mistreated.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Recently saw media's coverage of bad employers:Maid 'hit with hammer'Maid was punishedSingaporean PR employerAs usual, activists/media are delighted and full of energy to slam/shame the employers. Names and pictures were published but maid who did something bad can be protected (Tursinah Sari)! Some people treat another human being (employer) so unfairly yet felt that is right! Just because the person in the wrong is an employer, he or she deserves to be treated unfairly/attacked ... his/her as well as family's life ruin? Employers live here so by showing their faces, won't their friends and families know them? Where to hide? How to repent and have a new start? Maid can escape home, nobody will know what she did after she has served her jail sentence ... she can be reborn ... like a new person, probably can fly back to Spore with a new identity.Employer/one person's fault affects the people around him/her. Why aren't you doing the same, dig out the stories of the maid and her family, interview her friends in Spore or find out she was from which agency (to beware)? Some people go all the way out to help FDWs, regardless how they hurt the employer or young ones (vulnerable). Without CCTV, are the parents suppose to go thru more ordeal and agony? Get themselves questioned and suffer mental breakdown due to some blinded/sicko activists who only have eyes for FDWs (as victims)? Also, subject themselves to be targets of blinded activists? Maid is incapable of carrying out her work. Who's duty to ensure FDWs in the market are willing to learn, prepared to work and are not mentally ill nor have princess attitude? Who should be the gate keepers? Obviously Ministry of Manpower and agencies, am I right? Employers are the end-users (the payers), why the middlemen can be scot-free, why the policy makers (PAP/MOM) have no protection in force to help entangled employers? Why employer's agony, time and money is viewed as 'part of employing FDW' ... an obligation although not at fault?Maid jailed for abusing baby over his sleeping blues, Straits Times, 20 Apr 2016A 32-year-old Indonesian maid repeatedly abused a 14-month-old toddler in a Punggol flat for nearly two months - all because she could not get him to fall asleep, a district court heard yesterday. On various occasions, she pulled the baby up by his arm, held him upside down by his ankles, slapped him and even pushed his head. But her acts were caught on a closed-circuit television camera, and footage of the abuses was later viewed by the baby's parents.

Yesterday, the maid, Tursinah Sari, was jailed for 12 weeks after she pleaded guilty to six out of 15 charges under the Children and Young Persons Act for ill-treating the child. The remaining charges were taken into consideration in sentencing. (Winter: 12 weeks only, so light! If the abuser is an employer, do you know the vast difference?)Tursinah had worked for the baby's parents for about three months before she began to abuse him between Christmas Day last year and Feb 4 this year. On one occasion, on Dec 27, she pulled the baby out of his cot by one of his wrists. On Jan 10, she held him upside down by his ankles for about eight seconds. Shortly after, she slapped his face and pushed his head. She also dropped the toddler on a sofa, and then pressed on his ribs with both her hands on Jan 27.Four days later, she held the infant upside down by his legs before dropping him into his cot. Shortly after, she pulled him out of the cot by grabbing the front of his T-shirt. And on Feb 4, Tursinah pulled the baby from the cot by grabbing one of his hands. Shortly after, she jerked him up and down several times while carrying him. She later pulled him up from the cot and into the air by grabbing the front of his T-shirt.The toddler's parents found out about the abuses the next day when they viewed the footage of their closed-circuit television camera. The father made a police report the next day. The baby was taken to hospital, but no external injuries were found on him.Deputy Public Prosecutor Dora Tay called for two to four weeks' jail per charge, with four of the sentences to run consecutively. She asked for a total of 12 weeks' jail.Tursinah submitted two mitigation letters to the court which stated, among other things, that she was owed five months' salary. In passing sentence, District Judge Luke Tan said he found it "surprising" that Tursinah was herself a mother. "You must have understood the anguish of the parents when they discovered the abuse," the judge said. "The child is too young to express distress, protect himself and seek help."The judge told Tursinah she would have to seek separate recourse on her salary claims. She could have been fined $4,000 and jailed for four years per charge.Similar: Child abused by Khaerun Nisa Selfitriya3 months old when a maid poured acid down his throatNo CCTV for the benefit of maid?

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Pratap, 23 February, 2016Posted in: House rules for maid to abideYour post containing house rules are like you are from the medival age and your thinking is so stinking as if you are out there to hire a slave. Only difference is for slave they pay before and here you want to pay every month.Your story is so much of one sideded who canot see and understand that what you canot do without a maid's help, that it is your necessity to take help of 2 more hands to make yiur life better and that it is not a not luxury which you can do without that you are hiring a human being not a machine to work for you, that she is going to take care of all of you at home includi g your food so that you can go out and earn more and enjoy night out with your family and go to disco with your wife that call yiur guests to home without even bothering about the hardship of making dinner for them(ask yiur wife how tiring it is), that she is going to give your house a beautiful look and when you come back from office by setting and clearing cyour daily mess. Are these no value to you or are their values equal to your maid salary only. Your only argument to this is they are paid. Yes, tbey are paid. Yes..who will work for yiu frre. I am not disputing about how adequte or not their salary because they have agreed to it. But, see you want them to work for seven days 6.30 am to 10pm everyday, 15 to 16 hours a day and remain mentally ready to attend to your any need at any time within 24 hours of the day. You have problem in their off day even if it is once a week. You donot want them to use their phone during working houreans they will use it at midnight duri g sleep ( I certainly donot see any reson why they canot use if they use itt duuring off peak work). You want them to work them 7 days a week and yiu expect them to be happy with tbeir job. Which job demands such a high working hour and high discipline except this DW. You want to pay tbem only one day salary for their off day. SIC mentality. Are yoy thinking that you are hiring a machine or a human being. How many hours you work in your office and how many off days you have in your job per year. How much hours of work per day make you tierd. Why you go out every sunday with your family. Are you a normal person and the maid is super human and has come from other planet. You must have a human heart to understand the physical tierdness and mental sadness of other people who are leaving everything behind in their country to serve you. You must understand that keeping maid is not a luxury for you, it is your compulsion. You owe a responsibiliyy to look after her so that you can get best out of her. Because you are paying you can change her if you are unhappy but if she is not happy and change job you blame her. SIC mentality. HOME is not a shelter to give shelter to criminal. It is a place to rehabilitate and a place to listen to the physical or mental torture or may be just to hear the plights of a maid and rehabilitate her to you or to other. But your heart is not a gentleman's one. Without MOM's rightful intervention the plights of maid would be even more. Thanks to MOM and HOME because of whom "some strict house rules employers" are in check from doing injustice a worker who is allways on duty 24 hours 7 days.My above comment is not for the good employers who treat their maid as one of their family member. There are thousands out good employer there for whom the maids are working for 10, 20 or even more years. GOD bless you for not only giving bread to your maid but for seving her extended family back home.Having said above, maids who violates MOM rule and torture the family for whom they have come to work should be rightfully punished as per Govt laws.

Winter replied: By posting here, you made yourself looked like a clown, showed how brainless and naive you are to take stand for modern FDWs ... forgot about source countries & agents. First of all, there's no paid slave. Would anybody fly all the way to be slave? Second, what's listed in a contract, you adhere. If can't carry out like a responsible human, don't work and then claimed you've been abused or treated unfairly. You own your own brain and legs, nobody forced you or FDW to board the plane and work in a place that is less favourable than home country. You want to play angel, this blog is obviously not for fake saint like you!Your ending words may sound like you're not one sided but your opening made you evil at heart and unrealistic/unsympathetic.^^^^^^^^^^^^^Jan 2016Winter: Oct 2015 (coma) to Jan 2016, maid draws S$520 each month so $520 x 4 months = $2080. Activists like to assume maids are earning extremely low and refused to take into consideration the living costs of maids, which are payable by employers so $3150-2080 = maid earned S$1070. Activists, are you happy with my calculation? Do you feel maids are humans who can survive without food? If employers didn't pay for food ... the invisible costs that you people intentionally ignored, can FDW survive well? If employer woke up, she 'made a fortune' .... don't forget her employer still need to pay maid monthly salary, which MOM is trying to help her chase .... Employer's obligation so she can't run away. Thus, $3150 will be a windfall.Public raises $3,150 for maid whose boss is in a coma, Straits Times, 8 Jan 2016The maid whose wages dried up when her employer fell into a coma last October - leaving her without money and food - has seen her luck take a turn for the better. Since news of Indonesian Mersi Fransina Missa's plight was revealed by The Straits Times on Monday, a total of $3,150 has been raised for her by the public.She has even received offers of employment but has turned them down as she hopes to return to her home town of Kupang, Indonesia, to visit her family, including her 52-year-old mother who is ill. "I miss them and I want to go see them. I had no money, but I keep thinking of my mother," said Ms Mersi, 28, who last saw her parents and six younger siblings two years ago. Her parents are farmers and she is the sole breadwinner.Ms Mersi has been living at the Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics (Home) since December. She is unable to leave the country without approval by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). However, the MOM yesterday confirmed that it will "facilitate" her departure. She hopes to return home within a few weeks and told The Straits Times she wishes to stay in Indonesia for a few months. She also hopes to be able to send money to her family to cover their living expenses.Ms Mersi had taken care of her employer, a retiree in her 60s, for more than a year after she suffered a stroke in August 2014. But her employer was warded at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) in a vegetative state after a second stroke last October.Ms Mersi continued visiting her employer at SGH for a month, but the travel costs became too expensive for her. Her actions touched one reader - a Singaporean professional - so much that he donated $2,000 and his friends chipped in another $600."I was particularly touched by her loyalty," he said, wishing to remain anonymous. "She could have seen that her employer wasn't going to recover soon, or questioned where her salary was going to come from, but she was there for her every day."Her employer, who is single and has no children, used to keep $100 for her out of her $520 salary. Ms Mersi said that $1,950 of her money is still with the employer.An MOM spokesman said that it is trying its best to help Ms Mersi settle her salary arrears. "But with the employer still in coma, we are looking at other interim options to assist her," he said. "We will continue to monitor the situation after Ms Mersi returns to Indonesia, and maintain contact with her."

Employer in coma, Indonesian maid unpaid since October, Straits Times, 4 Jan 2016For more than a year, Ms Mersi Fransina Missa fed, bathed and took care of her employer, who had suffered a stroke in August 2014. But a second stroke in October last year left her employer - a retiree in her 60s - warded at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) in a vegetative state.^^^^^^^^^^^^^27 Nov 2015Winter: If your employers have given you employment terms as per Spore MOM regulations and standard contract, don't whine and demand something your country cannot even match! If another country can offer you what you want, by all means go if you're qualified and they want to employ!For many people, gratitude is difficult, because life is difficult. Even beyond deprivation and depression, there are many ordinary circumstances in which gratitude doesn't come easily. One should feel grateful in order to give thanks. Acting grateful can actually make you grateful. One explanation is that acting happy, regardless of feelings, coaxes one's brain into processing positive emotions. Researchers at the University of Southern California showed this in a 2011 study of people with high power but low emotional security (think of the worst boss you've ever had). The research demonstrated that when their competence was questioned, the subjects tended to lash out with aggression and personal denigration. When shown gratitude, however, they reduced the bad behaviour. That is, the best way to disarm an angry interlocutor is with a warm "thank you". Arthur C. BrooksIn a stuck moment, it’s hard to see positive forces when obstacles are blaring and fears are looming. Not grateful for what has us stuck, but appreciating what doesn’t. Gratitude helps us see our situation in a way that can lessen panic, and could open up our thinking to new solutions.Thing is, people aren’t hardwired to be grateful. And, like any skill worth having, gratitude requires practice. Gratitude helps us realize what we have. This can lessen our need for wanting more all the time. Gratitude strengthens relationships, improves health, reduces stress, and, in general, makes us happier, according to Dr. Emmons

26 Nov Winter: I won't be deleting below comment, once a while I keep to let readers know how hard it is to get saint-wolf skin people to be understanding, look at the truth ie we are really not that bad. Employers can also be abused mentally and emotionally by maids and activists. It is not easy to manage FDW. Modern FDWs are here to work less, play hard and enjoy life at our expenses.. all thanks to activists' brainwashing. Quite a lot of people got the mentality employers owe maids good lives. They failed to reflect and assess the FDWs' actual value - her contribution vs what Employer paid and invested (time/training). We can spread useful ideas, experiences and skills to people who are sympathetic but in the end, spontaneity is vital only if there aren't so many hard nuts to crack. We still have a tough journey to defend ourselves and our loved ones from unscrupulous agents, underperform FDWs, greedy source countries and activist-vipers..... not forgetting our pro-maid MOM.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Winter: It is extremely unfair to make employers absorb the full cost of FDW's placement fees by allowing FDWs to switch employers freely. If FDW wants to switch employer (transfer), she should pay Employer the remaining maid loan +interest and 50% of the agency fee paid to recruit her. Hong Kong maids are responsible for their own loan repayment as lump sum or instalments, employers not involved.If the costs is exorbitant, FDWs with brains shouldn't come over to Spore and start pointing fingers or campaign with activist-gangsters to make their Employers become ATM machines. FDWs caused all the inconveniences and miseries yet want to be free at zero cost? You are so selfish, unjust and wicked! Activists, you have a bee in your bonnet, stop barking up the wrong tree! Maids, stay in your comfort zone ... your own country, don't come to Spore to cherry pick and blow your top like employers/Singapore owe you a lot! Yes, some poor women need a job but it is not employers/Singapore's duty to nurse foreigners... the respective countries have duties to improve your lives, help you and not throw you out by colluding with agents. Why allow source countries to shift their responsibilities to Spore, you felt this is the rights of a human or the rights of a big country? Employers don't deserve to be bullied or badgered by you/activists/agencies nor should accept the losses like a charity organisation.... employers are merely salaried persons belonging to unrelated households, not company or part of any organisation. FDWs have the choice not to become agencies money making tools.... you people need to get the fact right! Fight for human rights from your country/agency, don't shamelessly pester somebody else or be led astray by activists and create tension/build resentful relationships with employers!Cost to employ a maid, DIY

one way ticket

$100

taxi to airport pick FDW

$50

SIP

$65

IPA (MOM employment letter)

$0

Work Permit & collection

$50

(WP can be mailed to employer's house)

Medical screening+ FDW pick up

$120

24 months insurance

$300

S$700

Agency inflated the costs 4.8 times, making each FDW pay about S$3400, equivalent to 7 to 8 months free labour. This cost doesn't include employer's agency fee of $800 to $1800. How come activists portraying yourself like saints didn't go and fire your missiles at recruiters and source countries? All of you aware of ridiculous agency fees yet don't hit the root hard and get things fixed. Instead, you chose to squeeze more money and benefits out of powerless Employers' pocket. By doing so, are you sure you're acting fairly and show you are benevolent persons? Maid agencies wanted to earn easy money in the form of transfer/recycling should be fined, eg hit a certain quota per year or a certain FDW has been transferred 2 or more times a year. MOM shouldn't allow princess attitude or poor quality FDWs to work in Spore and sponge on Employers. By allowing placement fees to be borne by employers, more bad and poor quality FDWs will flock to Spore. We need helpers, not paid high fees and salaries to babysit a live-in adult or 'adopt' a daughter .... +subject ourselves to be taken advantage by FDWs and activist such as HOME. You're not the only human being in Sg, how can you treat other humans....employers so unkindly ..... default thinking employers caused FDWs to suffer? You were greedy, maybe naive that's why you flew to Spore. How many of you really need a job? Modern FDWs placed pleasure, satisfaction and enjoyment/freedom as top of the list .....then claimed you need a job as FDW... what a joke! Don't keep fooling people, emphasizing maids are slaves because slaves won't step into source country agencies and agree to be marketed willing! Slaves are sold out of their own will. You people ought to be responsible for your own actions and stop acting like victims/saints! The fault lies with source country's recruiter, bombard them, bite them and leave us alone!

This was posted in Facebook, Sep 2015. Comments:Veronica Fun -- This will give workers disproportionate control over employers. Lol

Lisa Justine -- Can you imagine the amount of agent fees we have to pay* AND the number of urgent leave we have to take from our own employers to settle the mess they create? Maybe we employers should just pack up our kids and elderly and move in to HOME. I will need humanitarian help.Nikki Er -- In the Philippines you don't need sign the transfer paper. Some just take off after an off day. Why is that so? Because employer do not need to pay for agency, documentation & many other fees. in Singapore, if the helper wants to transfer imagine the amount of money we would have to pay to get a new helper (imagine those who are in financial difficulties, is working & really need a domestic helper to look after an elderly at home). Is it fair for the employer to have the pay for the agent fees (if the agency doesn't have a suitable candidate for replacement) all over again? As employers we need as much protection as the employees (fdw). Jieyingz Lek -- Can I know how does this work? Am I getting free replacement if they ask for transfer under this pledge? Also will MOM not add this under my records in the event the maids ask for transfer due to higher salary offered by other employers?Allie Cott -- Maids who do not complete their 2yr contracts should be made to compensate the employers. Why should we allow them to come to our country and give trouble. If they can't work with the employer, they should just pack for Home.Can I take back my agent fees, loan n other miscellaneous fees tt I paid for? If yes, feel free to transfer! I'm very open to such arrangements but 1st pay me back everything! I wonder if HOME can spare so much tots for FDWs, y can't u spare a tiny...See MoreNicki Liang -- I would agree with much of what has been said above. Of course, none of us want to see helpers being exploited but if they are allowed to transfer at will, without completing a contract then it is the employers that are being exploited.I do, however, feel that they should be allowed to transfer without their employer's consent at the end of a contract. This can be verified from the data of expiry of the WP.Jassy Goh -- As an employer, we pay almost everything (agent fee, loan, insurance, miscellaneous fee etc) to bring in a helper. Of course, they are free to go after they finish their contracts. But the point is some helpers just come here like a holiday, not really for the purpose to work. Then what's the point of having a contract that has no effect on the FDWs. Cant finish the contract, they have to compensate and free to go. This is our hard earned money, the money doesnt fall from the sky to pay all these costs. Whenever HOME wants to address an issue, please look at the employer's angle as well. No doubt there are some good FDWs around from the olden days. But these days, some FDWs are quite demanding, want this and that, yet cannot perform and fail to improve their works and cant be bothered to build a better relationship with the employer. HOME is humanitarian, the help should also be extended to employers.Evangeline Gabrielle Yang -- I am a new employer which maid hasn't even arrived after delay. And I strongly dislike how your side love to give one side story about employer. I will only support this is employee bear their own loan, own insurance, own food and lodging because it is tough for us to trust a stranger alr with our young kids and elderly. And we still need provide free food and lodging.Many of my friends said nowadays is the employee choose employer not other ways around.Thanks to you all who started this!Angela Tan -- If you can house them, feed them 3 meals 2 tea breaks daily, provide them a private room, unlimited access to wifi, ipad, smartphone, provide them daily entertainment, take care of their mental well being, make sure they have social interaction daily, keys to your home, free to invite strangers to your place, organize house party every other day, manage their relationship, financial and family problems, most importantly continue to pay them until their contract ended. If you can do that, I'll be very happy to send each problematic helper to you. Will you?^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Quoted from forum: "I read it with horror even though we have no domestic helpers. I find it hard to believe that people who are doing things with good intentions for the domestic helpers but at the same time sound equally, if not more vicious in their suggestions of shaming and causing regrets to employers. If you are truly people who care, then cease right now and you will look more noble. If not, I see you even bigger trouble makers for both employers and domestic helpers, fanning the fire even stronger.""kind-hearted social workers and volunteers should do their due diligence when they offer their time to NGOs. Don't be used as proxies or pawns by others to further their agenda""you can rant, you can shame, you can name, you can warn, you can advise as a parent (or are you not?) protecting your former fellow countrywomen from employer abuse, you can promote all the noble causes your patrons are pushing, so can any member remind and educate the ignorant majority about the motives behind some causes. That's your prerogative that I've no right to deprive you of. If the people behind these NGOs aren't partisan, they should resign from their parties and be simple citizens and parents like you and I""You know their (HOME nor TWC2) existence but you may not be aware of their makeup. Yes, I'm aware of their objectives, but "purely" promoting FDW welfare or not, I shall reserve my comments. And "supplementing the efforts of MOM" or not, I won't shed further light""The same people who show so much compassion towards the FDWs are the same who are so toxic in their ways...condemn, shame etc... Is there an equation in such behaviour?""If you're truly convicted that you're contributing to the group of aggrieved FDWs, of which you claimed MOM is cognizant, why don't you promote your NGO brand publicly here, instead of create the impression that there are a gazillion abusive employers and exploited FDWs uncared for in Singapore? If you really did good, why do you need to keep magnifying the negative wrongdoings of Singaporean employers and "punishing" and "lynching" those who complained/ranted about their errant helpers, instead of sharing the positive outcome of your intervention?""current regulations are lop-sided towards domestic helpers as they are deemed the weaker of the two. The aggrieved employers have no other help. Employers are considered to be able to help themselves and hence they go to forums to rant. I am not saying this is right but this is how they relieve their pain when no one else wants to assist them when they meet bad domestic helpers. We have to bear in mind, these employers are not corporate employers who have muscles to handle their own issues which I feel the authorities might have mistaken in this area, hence no solution until today for such aggrieved small-time employers.""The good news for the domestic helpers is that once any legal rules pertaining to the hiring process is detected, they get their protection by law to punish the employer even for small acts of badness. As for the employers, we need a murder/abuse to happen and reported in the news before we can arrest the dysfunctional domestic helper. Fair? Tell me what is fair?""Labour violations aside, serious crimes involving domestic workers, such as physical or sexual abuse, arson, suicides and murders should be tracked rigorously. If employers are to be believed, the quality and competence of domestic workers here are falling.""As aspirations, opportunities and incomes rise in neighbouring countries, it is unrealistic to assume that Singaporeans will continue to be served by efficient young women who are willing to work long, unstructured hours in a tough job with low pay. More data could help prevent some crimes by better informing policy. And the sooner we know, the better it is for the victims - and for Singapore."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Winter: Activists thought they are the cat's whiskers and unyieldingly advocate FDWs to be given rice daily, including breakfast. Activists felt by doing so, Employers are helping FDWs to adjust new lives in Spore. By treating FDW well and giving in/be super understanding, Employers can help to reduce their stress. Personally, if FDWs are so pampered, they shouldn't fly to Spore. If they want to work in Spore, the first mindset is to accept and adapt. Most of us don't eat rice in the morning so why should we change our lifestyle for the sake of FDWs? Why modern FDWs can't look at the big picture, learn to be understanding and try to integrate? Is it really so hard to stop accusing and blaming employers? Is it fair to make another human being & family to suffer or change and please you? Aren't you being selfish and unreasonable?I have mentioned before, my sister's 2 months old Filipino maid ran to HOME accusing my sis for ill-treating her. She was very picky, lazy and fake ill regularly. Maid poured away porridge that my sis cooked (maid can't cook), refused to eat bread and mee. She rather starve herself than eat common/local Spore food. Waste food is not a crime .... obviously in the eyes of 'poor maids' and activists!FDWs Facebook comments on Food:Mawar Berduri -- For employer if you can't afford to give the food to your maid better don't dare to hire the maid 'we are came to singapore to work as a maid not because there in our home don't have food we work here because we need "more" money!Melody Peñaranda Briones -- Employer must know thier responsibilities for taking maid.. all maid came her fit to work....if they cannot afford to feed are better dont take maid at all...some employer are just feeling rich only..for them just to show people that they have maid but the truth behind they dont know how to handle and manage it...like my ex employer....

Hafizah Ayuningrum -- have bread for breakfast is better then nothing. sometimes biscuits and coffee only you know. .be thankful for every single pieces. .

Jieyingz Lek -- I do hope there can be a more wholesome view on this topic. It is relatively unfair to write this article based on interview with 3 domestic workers when I am pretty sure there are many other whom get to eat very well and in fact have put on weight during their employment.

Jenny Huerto De Guzman -- For the first time i work the family i always tell them what i expected gve me enough food bread coffee rice veg meat and fish and need enough rest thats the rules and law we are human being i tell them treat me well as human being thats it

Jenny Huerto De Guzman -- Sometime we need to talk we cnt always quiet and alwsys say ok if we knw they doing its not ryt and againts the law we cnt quiet we need to take an action they knw what they need to provide for us but bec we nver complain they thought everythng is fine

Stephanie Kwok -- All my helpers have to go on a diet after they have put on so much weight after working with my family. Why didn't they write up on how some helpers actually abused the weekends we let them off to go do multi level marketing which is illegal with the domestic work permit they are holding?

Veronica Fun -- I had a helper who put on 8kg in 6 weeks with me. 5kg of rice she finishes in 5 days alone. On days I packed food home, I have to buy 2 packets of rice for her, her breakfast was 1 LOAF of bread with spreads of her choice and it was her pick to drink milk, coffee and tea. I stocked up my kitchen & fridge with food just for her - her 1 meal can last both my junior and me a week! Yet, she said she was still hungry! Can someone tell me if I was not providing enough food for her?

Jamel Lah -- Hahaha my ist employer dont want that I will eat too much.. not all are bad there are also good employers and also helpers really needs to adjust about food

Glorybee Joseco -- My first employer for 22 years don't care either you eat already or not....never ever ask...Or buy food for me if they eat outside.... It's a lucky year if she did... That's one reasons why I left.... (Winter: If employer is really that bad, you can work 22 years for them?)

Angela Tan -- My helper has free access to all food in the kitchen and fridge. She can eat anything she wants. That is my promise to her. On her first few weeks, she ate almost every waking hour. She, alone, eats more than a family of five will eat. She stuffed herself silly on food and put on a bulging belly just in 1 week. She even drinks my toddler's formula milk LOL! Soon enough, she had stomach digestive problem. She will complain her stomach is bursting and needed to rest for the day. But that doesn't whet her appetite LOL! Doctor advised her not to eat so much. She got paid sick leave. This cycle repeats every 3-4 days. Then she tells us she is allergic to seafood and dairy but continue to cook and eat loads of them because she likes it. We are so sick of her inability to control her food cravings. We send her back home. If you ask for freedom, please show us you have the self control not to abuse it first.

Live-in nature of work a stress factor for maids, ST Forum, 10 Nov 2015
We sympathise with Ms Teng Soo Ling's concern about the abuse of the elderly or children under the care of a migrant domestic worker ("Cameras guard against abuse by maids"; last Tuesday). Looking after our loved ones is an important responsibility, and it is reasonable to expect them not to be harmed. However, it is important to remember that the live-in nature of domestic work is stressful for many maids. (Winter: MOM doesn't allow live-out maids. If these sickening, no heart to work and 'easily stressful' maids felt living out will do them good, by all means pester MOM. You people just know how to bully the vulnerable employers, instead of barking at MOM or HDB! Activists, how come maids can be easily stressful while Employers can't? Why are you protecting FDWs like endangered species? Read "Live-out option at FDW's cost")

The exclusion of domestic work from the Employment Act means that limits to working hours, public holidays and 24-hour days off are not guaranteed. Unlike employees in other occupational settings, there are no clear boundaries to distinguish between work, rest and standby time.

Employers who wish to reduce the likelihood of their workers abusing the loved ones under their care should take steps to ensure that their domestic workers are not working excessive hours, and that their physical and psychological well-being is taken care of.

Many will have their own rooms to sleep in and rest between work. However, there are many others who do not have any private space and end up sleeping in hallways, living rooms and kitchens, in the presence of surveillance cameras. If an employer is unable to provide the worker her own private space, surveillance cameras should not be installed where she sleeps at night.(Winter: How many employed maids to show off and have spare rooms for FDWs? Did you intentionally forget a lot of us are living in tiny HDB flats and insufficient space/room for ourselves? Mad dog activists, have you forgotten CCTVs are installed not in yours or FDWs' house? What right have you got to make such an unfair/unjustified demand? How can you aggressively preaching that FDWs should treat another human being... employer and his/her family so mean, selfish and cruelly... destroy our homes/dignity/human & house owner's rights? Why Employers have to be shortchanged and pressurized in our own homes? It becomes our fault to live in tiny HDB flats or not rich to live in landed properties? Employing a maid is a necessity, not a luxury! Open your eyes and don't behave like blockheaded despicable jerks! I suggest you start poking MOM for live-out FDWs at their own expense.... spare us from your knives! Find somebody (eg MOM, agencies) on par to fight with, don't keep attacking the powerless Employers (we're just one Employer per household, not a group, company or part of any organisation), stop being so shameless and loathsome. Put those donations given by 'good heart Sporeans/Samaritans' into ethical use)

In a recent study conducted among 670 domestic workers, the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics found that the invasion of privacy was a risk factor in mental health. The same study also found that factors conducive to positive mental health are a perceived sense of integration into the employer's family, a perceived feeling of privacy and a positive perception of being treated with dignity.

Sufficient rest and having one's own room to sleep in were also found to be crucial for good mental health.

One maid, two stories, The New Paper, Mar 2015Was she locked in her employer's home, made to work long hours and starved as she had claimed? Or did she make them up to get out of her employment contract?TWC2 - Did rescued maid lie out of fear?Miss Wahyuni said she wasn't allowed out of her employer's house, was made to work long hours and was starved. She also claimed that she had to beg for food from the neighbours.MOM - She said she had sufficient food because she cooked her own, and was well rested, sleeping from 11pm to 6am.She added that at no time did she indicate she was confined by her employer against her will in the house.She also agreed to work on her rest days and was compensated with salary-in-lieu, as required by law.

TWC2 - Miss Wahyuni said she wasn't paid in full - for the 28 months she worked, she received only $2,000. It is an offence not to pay a maid's salary monthly.She also said her employer seized the red packet money given to her by visitors during Chinese New Year.MOM - She said she agreed to the salary-safekeeping arrangement and that whenever she wished to remit her money back to Indonesia, her employer never failed to do so.MOM ensured that her salary balance of $4,550, which was in her employer's safekeeping, was paid in full before she returned to Indonesia and that her passage was paid for by her employer - as required by law.TWC2 - Miss Wahyuni claimed she was once slapped by the matriarch of the house.MOM - She said she was never physically or verbally abused by her employer and family. Once, the employer's mother tapped Miss Wahyuni on her right cheek, but she didn't wish to pursue the matter because the elderly woman has dementia and scolds the family members as well.

The story of Indonesian maid Wahyuni and her dramatic rescue was first told by non-governmental organisation Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) on its website. But in a subsequent interview with Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officials, Miss Wahyuni changed her story. So she lied. But to whom and why?TWC2 is insistent that its version of events is accurate. The organisation promotes equitable treatment for migrant workers in Singapore. Last year, it helped 17 maids who had disputes with their employers. It also provided shelter for 15 of them.Ms Thio says TWC2 volunteers, including herself, always tell the maids to tell the truth when making statements to the authorities. "We tell them they are signing legal documents and if they lie, then they are punishable by law," she says.MOM similarly reminds maids who make allegations about mistreatment or crimes committed against them. "Wahyuni understood that statements made to public officers have to be truthful, and that her statements would be verified against other available sources including her employer," its spokesman says."In accordance with our protocol, a statement was properly recorded with the assistance of an interpreter in Malay, a language understood by the worker," added the MOM spokesman. "Before finalising, the interpreter read back the statement to Wahyuni and she confirmed the information recorded."A counsellor, who declined to be named, says many foreign domestic workers she spoke to feel lonely and isolated "as the only people they interact in the first few weeks in this strange land are their employers and families". "Those who miss home will lie - that they are sick or a family member is hurt or has died - just to try and return," she adds.Psychiatrist Adrian Wang says: "Some lie out of fear. Others from greed. It really depends on the context. It's human nature." Sri Dewi, 25, an Indonesian, has worked here for five years with three different employers. She tells The New Paper on Sunday that when she first came to Singapore in February 2010, the other maids taught her to lie, "otherwise it will be difficult to change employer or get days off", she says.Filipino maid Luzmarie Escoba, 42, says maids sometimes lie to get out of trouble. She also says that they sometimes resort to lying "so we don't need to pay back our salaries when we break our contracts".

"In handling cases, it is important to remain dispassionate and objective, neither favouring the employer nor the employee," an MOM spokesman tells TNPS. "It is regrettable that TWC2 was so eager to believe a story of alleged abuse and to publish a grossly untruthful account on its website."At no time did Wahyuni indicate that she was confined by her employer against her will in the house." She says that from interviews done with Miss Wahyuni, MOM ascertained that "no offence has been alleged by Wahyuni to be committed by her employer"."She was neither mistreated, abused, nor did she allege that she was confined against her will. Wahyuni merely wanted to terminate her employment contract to return to Indonesia," adds the spokesman. "This could have been done lawfully by invoking the termination clause and serving out her notice period as in her employment contract - without TWC2 needing to whisk her away."

But what about employers' concerns?
For most employers who have maids at home looking after the elderly or young children, it is constantly a worry whether their loved ones are being well looked after by the maids.

There have been cases where the elderly and young children were abused by maids. Some maids also bring male friends in when their employers are not at home. Without cameras, such cases would have gone undetected and the abuse would continue. Cameras can also prevent maids from accusing employers of abusing them.

Maids talk about the lack of trust. But trust is a two-way affair, which is sometimes abused by maids, forcing employers to install cameras. Some maids also use the cameras as an excuse to get out of their contracts when they are not happy with their employers.

Employers should inform the maids that there are cameras at home before they are hired. The maids could ask to view the locations of the cameras prior to signing the agreement, and if they agree to take on the job, they should bear that part of the bargain.

Cameras are necessary tools to monitor the lives and safety of employers' loved ones in their absence. The Manpower Ministry, Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics and Transient Workers Count Too must treat maids' complaints fairly.

There is protection for maids but little is done to protect employers.

Teng Soo Ling (Ms)

Winter: I am an employer who strongly felt the need to install CCTV cameras to ensure FDW is carrying out her job, not ill-treating my girl or did I abuse/ill-treat her. CCTVs footage are the only form of evidence to give the police or MOM when things didn't turn out well. It is your only way of getting out of shit or any framing by your FDW. Reasoning or your pitiful cries ... even if you've suffered a mental breakdown 'can't save you' from these 'wolf-skin bullies'.If FDWs truly come to work and are delivering their duties, I don't see a reason why CCTV cameras are an issue or causes of FDW's stress. Maids must be doing something hanky panky, something not suppose to do, otherwise, why get so worried or stressed? 自寻烦恼Activists and MOM have been 'programmed' to jump to protect the 'vulnerable' FDWs. They tend to believe FDWs are incapable of bully or ill-treating the employers and their families. Even if FDWs have committed crimes, framed employers, the blinded activists will find excuses such as FDWs did those things due to stress or abuse created by employer. Therefore, if you don't want to end up in the hands of those wolf-skin activists such as HOME or TWC2, you as an employer should do your best to protect yourselves from their evil clutches. MOM take their own sweet time to interview you (investigate), cause you unnecessary headaches & stress, tarnish your reputation (if reported in the news), etc. Justice delayed is justice denied, most important, your ordeal won't be compensated. That FDW who framed you won't be fined nor jailed. She may be blacklisted and then get a ticket home (repatriate) - paid by you! FDW is a woman, even though you are a woman employer and you are the only one monitoring the FDW when she uses the toilet, to me, this is not right 有点变态. I fully agree CCTV should be installed in FDW's bedroom, especially shared bedroom with kids/elderly. As a parent, it is your duty to protect your young ones .... don't cry over spilled milk, don't regret when your kindness has been backfired.A clever and scheming FDW can do anything, FDWs are not stupid! With CCTV, as long as FDW knows how to keep her acts away from the cameras (I don't have hidden cameras), it is hard to catch her in wrongful act. CCTV is just a deterrent, not 100% useful if you're installing just in selected areas.CCTVs are installed in public areas, some CCTVs are pointing at residents' windows (to catch litter bugs) or door way so why the govt can cook up a good reason to spy us yet activists telling employers to be mindful, give FDW privacy in our own house? We paid for our house, it belongs to us, am I not right? In our house, SAFETY precedes PRIVACY, understand? Self-righteous activists can't tolerate our opinions, face the truth and prefer to be blind and deaf. You people like to keep biting us, are you being fair? Employers are the Targets of Narcissistic Abuse. We are under surveillance by our govt, how come nobody run after these big organisations/govt offices? 我们很好欺负? 政府不管我们的死活，雇主任人宰割，公平吗？A number of HDB dwellers cum FDW's employers don't have spare room. FDW has no rights to demand a private room so there is no such thing as her private space. By offering FDW a room, Employers are just being overly kind and doing their utmost best to treat FDW well. Instead of putting a CCTV in FDW's room, maybe you can tell your FDW she cannot shut the door, unless she's undressing. Activists will make employer forgo their loved ones' rights, put us in a disadvantage position. The activists don't care what happened to employers or families, their 'holy duty' is to give you headaches and prove Sg employers are baddies! How many of these activists have hired live-in FDWs, managing them and withstand their human/princess nonsense? How many of these kind soul's effort weren't appreciated, all the while had been playing righteous heros but afraid of becoming a laughing stock if their kind acts became their 'shame'... ripped by 'vulnerable FDWs'? Let these people feel how hurting it is to be sabotaged/played out and how powerless we are facing hard nuts.... beyond reasoning maid activists. Yes, you can be nice. Yes, you can be an angel .... but do give Employers fairness and not one sided protection towards FDWs. Do understand our families and loved ones are important! Respect our rights as the owners of the house.Recently, a video of maid ill-treating a toddler was uploaded online. Without such evidence, how to nail an evil FDW easily and create awareness that FDWs are not vulnerable? I believe a lot of bad FDWs went scot-free because employers can't prove, had to suffer in silence and learn a really big lesson. Read Caught by CCTV: FDW hurt nine-month-old baby and FDW abused toddler

Do 'maid cameras' cross the line? 1 Nov 2015, Straits TimesLike many maids in Singapore, Ms Dewie, 27, came here for a bigger pay cheque to support her young children. She could endure the backbreaking hours, even the repeated scoldings, but what made her decide to leave was the closed-circuit television camera in the toilet."Why are you taking so long in the toilet? Why are you using my shampoo and not yours?" her employer would ask, despite not being home at that time. Ms Dewie, whose story was recounted by non-governmental organisation Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), then checked the toilet and found a tiny camera hidden in a corner.It is not uncommon for employers here to use closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to keep an eye on their maids, especially those left at home with the elderly or young children. They use CCTVs to deter their maids from abusing family members or to ensure that no strangers enter their homes.

But a line is crossed when these cameras are put up in private areas, said the authorities and advocacy groups for foreign workers. "CCTVs should not be installed in areas that will compromise the FDWs' (foreign domestic workers') privacy, for example, where they sleep, change their clothes or the bathroom area," said a spokesman for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). "All employers must respect the privacy of their employees, including foreign domestic workers who work and reside in their employers' homes."Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), said his group believes the presence of surveillance cameras where the maid sleeps and rests should be outlawed. "Even if the domestic worker is sharing her room with the children or the elderly, such cameras should not be allowed because everyone has a right to his privacy," he said.Currently, it is not illegal for employers to install cameras in bedrooms and toilets as there are no privacy laws here, said lawyers. But if surveillance is done in areas where the worker undresses, this could constitute an outrage of modesty.The MOM spokesman said: "In the event that such complaints are brought to our attention, we will advise the employers to take down the CCTV. Should the cases involve insulting of modesty, these will be referred to the police," she said. She added that complaints of intrusion of privacy are very rare.But welfare groups that work with migrant workers say they get numerous complaints from maids about employers monitoring them in their private spaces. "It is a significant problem because in a week, at least one domestic worker who approaches us for help has reported the existence of surveillance cameras in the house or her room," said Mr Wham.A survey by Home of 670 maids this year showed one in five of them had surveillance cameras in her room. But workers such as Ms Dewie often choose not to report such infringements because they fear losing their jobs. She was repatriated a week after her employers found out last year she was talking to TWC2.TWC2 board member Shelley Chio said: "Sometimes, the maids end up blaming us out of frustration, when their cases are not settled after three or four months. But my concern is: What if it happens to the next maid the employers hire?"There were 218,300 foreign maids in Singapore as of June last year, which means that about one in five families here hires one. Maid agencies said they have received complaints about CCTVs from maids. Said Mr Benny Liew, director of Comfort Employment: "CCTVs are so common nowadays that maids are used to them, so fewer come to us about it. But we have done transfers for maids who are uncomfortable with the cameras."Usually, employers will take down the cameras in private areas after we warn them. But there are grey areas such as cameras installed outside their rooms but (which are) pointing in the direction of their rooms." He said those who install cameras at home should inform their maids.Ms Alison Chung, 35, who works in the media industry, initially used a camera that looks like an adaptor. However, she has since switched to a standard surveillance camera. "I installed it in my son's room after I... found my helper treating my son a little too rough for my liking," said Ms Chung, whose son was eight months old at that time."But I believe employers should be honest with their helpers if they do have CCTVs at home. They should show their helpers where the cameras are located and explain their reasons for having the cameras, so helpers know it isn't for spying but to monitor the children."Ms Susanto (not her real name), a 27-year-old maid, said: "I think cameras outside our private spaces are okay, though that says a lot about the lack of trust. But for those that violate our personal space, they... cause us a lot of mental stress."

The number of domestic workers in Singapore has been increasing over the years, and this has caused a rise in the number of abuse cases. There have been reports of employers physically abusing their maids or treating them unfairly for no particular reason. Some maids are not even given sufficient food to eat. Some maids are driven to a point that they even think of committing suicide or harming their employer's family. Such treatment of maids is deplorable, and it is saddening to read of these cases.

Singaporeans need to recognise that maids are human, too, and deserve to be treated fairly. They are here to work for us, and they play important roles. There is no reason for them to be treated so poorly.

These maids are not as fortunate as us, and we cannot expect them to meet all our expectations. It takes time for them to get used to a new environment. (Winter: I felt my maids are fortunate and having a life better than me)

The law should come down hard on abusers, and victims ought to be protected at all costs. (Winter: As victim, activists and MOM will pity FDWs and expect employer to dig out evidence to prove his/her innocence. Employers go thru the ordeal with nobody to help us, totally on their own to fight for the truth. As victim-employer, our words are not as powerful as FDWs. The abuser-maid get protected by activists, embassy and source countries. Most abusers or guilty maids do not need to pay a cent for legal costs.... FDWs sit back and relax because activists will try their best to let 'the vulnerable maids' receive light sentence eg the excuse of unsound mind or 'ill-treated thus maid retaliated/under stress'. What about employers? Aren't we under stress too?)

Employers should treat their maids with respect; no one has the right to physically or verbally abuse these domestic workers. They also need decent working conditions in order to perform well.

Meredith Tay Wen Xin (Miss), 19, second-year polytechnic student

==========Look at this crazy activist's point of view. If maids are given maternity leave and cannot deliver their job well during that 9 months of pregnancy cum 1 month recuperating, who suffered the most? Who became the FDW's maid? Obviously the employer. Who has spare cash to employ another maid for the existing maid ... 10 months is no joke! Maid can't lift heavy things, cannot hold your child, can't attend to most chores, becomes the queen in the house ..... isn't this encouraging more princess attitude and take-for-granted FDWs? Maids are not office staff, sales assistant or manager who can be given light chores! Most maids don't come to Spore and spend most of her time as an employer's companion, a pet caretaker, etc so how can activist advocate FDW be given employment terms similar to us? If his wife, mother or sisters become the FDW's maid, will he still maintain his stand?I know FDWs are humans but should we allow live-in strangers to sponge on us for 10 months? FDWs come here to Spore or make love, enjoy pregnancy and give birth legally ... Spore so short of foreign babies or gynae short of patients? Who will become the ill-fated ATM machines ... pay FDWs' 10 months salary for discounted work performance yet need to bear their avoidable pregnancy and medical?This activist should go to hell, not fit to use the word "kindness or humanity" because he is being unfair to us! He didn't take into account, most of us are merely salaried employers and don't own any company. Hong Kong employers really so nice to give maternity leave and take good care of maids during their pregnancy? I read online such practice is not well received in HK, maids get fired .... most employers will pay maid one month salary and off she is kicked home... totally free from a loafer! In HK, maid can't be transferred and employers are not required to pay maid loan nor tied with security bond, etc. Ridiculous employment terms shouldn't apply to us! Maid wants to get pregnant, get lost, don't come to Spore. If such policy is endorsed by our super caring MOM, that means I should resign and stay home! To have a princess at home, you want? To become your FDW's maid, you want? After a hard day of work, you still need to do her contracted work and pay her as usual! Paid her yet can't get her to deliver her job well, isn't this upgrading her as Queen of the house? Domestic workers are different from employee working in companies, shops, etc. FDWs are the only ones who stay in our houses and enjoy live-in benefits! How can FDWs enjoy live-in benefits and still want to be on par with normal employee in Spore? Why normal employee don't have $5000 security bond yet maid has? Why normal employee can create problems but company that hired him/her need not bear responsibility .... yet FDW's employer made to pay and bear irresponsible FDW's fault/costs? Is this how human rights works? Is this fair to another human being (FDW's employer) who is already shouldering so much?

Economic empowerment, access to education and the creation of jobs are what the government of Indonesia needs to put in place, in order to provide its women with better lives ("Indonesia's dilemma over foreign domestic workers"; April 16).

Banning them from going abroad to work will not resolve the problems these women and their families face, and it is a violation of their right to migrate and seek better opportunities elsewhere.

However, the responsibility for the economic empowerment and social protection of these women cannot just lie with Indonesia alone.

Receiving countries, such as Singapore, have an equal role to play.
There are approximately 220,000 migrant domestic workers here, and the population White Paper has projected their numbers to rise to 300,000 by 2030 to serve families with elderly people.

Our recent survey of nearly 700 of these women showed that almost a quarter suffered from mental problems and only 54 per cent received adequate medical attention when they were sick.

Singapore must, and can, do more to ensure their well-being. Domestic workers should be protected by minimum wage legislation, and their working hours have to be regulated. Overtime pay, maternity leave, annual leave, sick leave and other statutory benefits in the Employment Act should be extended to them. (Winter: This activist should go to hell because he is being unfair to us!) They should also have the right to form and join unions. Hong Kong has extended these rights to domestic workers, and there is no reason Singapore cannot do the same.

We should increase our international cooperation and enter into bilateral agreements with Indonesia and other sending countries to protect these women from human trafficking and exploitative recruiters.

Migrant domestic workers are often unseen and unheard. They are part of the Singapore Story and their contributions should be recognised, not just through the giving of awards to appreciate their hard work, but also in ways which provide them with better protection of their rights and welfare.

End overseas hiring of Indonesian maids? Start at home first, 27 Apr 2015Maids have increasingly become Indonesia's best-known global export "commodity" (excuse me for the lack of a better word) and while the government would not recognise it and many Indonesians feel ashamed acknowledging it, no one seems to have any serious intention of stopping it.We have to admit that these young rural women are earning foreign exchange valuable to the economy. Many times, I have come across people in Asia and in the Middle East who would tell me the moment they learn that I come from Indonesia: "Hey, my maid at home is an Indonesian." They would say this as a statement of fact rather than a derogatory remark about my nation.Many of them would add that Indonesians make the best domestic helpers, presumably based on their experience of hiring helpers of other nationalities in the past. They would describe their Indonesian maids as hard workers, loyal and obedient.Yes, Indonesian households are actually the largest employers of these young women. This makes their calls to stop exporting Indonesian maids abroad selfish at best and hypocritical at worst. What makes them think that they make better employers than those in other Asian countries or in the Middle East? Going by the lengths the government goes to in trying to ensure these workers better legal protection abroad - such as by insisting on a legal contract with conditions attached, including minimum wages - these young rural women are much better off there than at home.Their exposure to living abroad often allows them to develop skills they would not otherwise learn. Ask any housewife and she would tell you the best maids are those with "international experience". They tend to be far more disciplined and diligent at work, and can cook delicious Asian and Arab foods.And in the absence of any legal protection in the country - maids are not considered as workers - can we seriously claim that these women are better off working here at home? Activists who demand better protection for Indonesian workers abroad usually turn a blind eye to the situation at home because, like other middle-class Indonesians, they are employing maids at home without holding themselves to the standards they are demanding of employers abroad. And just because we rarely, if at all, hear stories of maid abuse in Indonesia does not mean it is not happening.Indonesian housewives are usually the first to scream for help the moment they lose their maids, even if for only a week or two. Listen to how loudly they complain around the time of Idul Fitri, when these maids join other revellers to celebrate the major Muslim holiday.In the absence of any law governing their employment - it is left entirely to the kindness of employers - there is a tendency for these households to impose stringent measures, like keeping part of the maids' meagre wages, to ensure their return.If we want to stop sending maids abroad because we are concerned for their safety, then we need to ban the practice of hiring maids altogether at home first. But can Indonesians live without their maids? The answer will most likely be a big "No!"

In an effort to preserve the dignity of the nation, the President announced plans to stop sending women to work as domestic helpers overseas. In doing so, he failed to realise the greater consequences of legitimate employment opportunities for women being cut.

The growing gender challenges of development and economic growth aside, women also face numerous cultural hurdles in establishing economic security. There is a need for more income-generating opportunities to be provided for women in order for them to live stable, secure and, indeed, dignified lives.

Instead of "band-aid" solutions, policies should be aimed at greater regulation and protection of FDWs. It is, in fact, by empowering its women that Indonesia will find greater dignity.

There is ample evidence from cases in Asia and elsewhere that higher female incomes most often go towards the betterment of the family. This includes increased household food security and greater spending on education and healthcare. For these women, financial independence puts food on the table, sends their children to school and takes care of their families' health and welfare.

Being engaged in gainful employment enables poor and dependent women to negotiate for the lives they wish to lead. It gives them a legitimate "space" to freely leave the home and return without compromising their roles as daughters, sisters, wives and mothers.

In the eyes of many conservative families, looking after children or a home or the elderly is a "decent" job through which their womenfolk are permitted to enter the workforce. Many women, with their limited education and skills, find the skill set for domestic work within their capabilities.

Indonesia does not want to be seen as a net exporter of its people. However, it is high time leaders realised that FDWs provide a valuable service in receiving countries. Politically speaking, such a move to curb FDWs may assuage the middle and upper classes who do not want the country to be seen as "lowly", but it does little to alleviate the plight of women who see being FDWs as a chance to get out of the cycle of poverty.

Indonesia is one of the top three countries in the world supplying domestic workers. For the poor and disenfranchised Indonesian women, domestic work is a job that empowers them financially. In spite of having to face uncertainties in receiving countries, being away from all that is familiar and facing the possibility of ill treatment, women still leave to work overseas.

Indonesia has a large population of FDWs in the Asean region and beyond. These women contribute significantly through their remittances to their country's economy, with almost all their pay sent home to families. Stopping this will just push them into more fraught ways of earning an income. It will also make them more vulnerable to being trafficked.

Migrant worker numbers in Asean countries are growing. Thus, greater regulation and monitoring seem to be the order of the day. FDWs need to be made more aware of their rights, and there should be help centres and agencies set up to make sure that there is easy access to assistance if needed, including easy communication with their families back home.

The provision of such assistance needs to be decentralised and located at village levels and in small townships across the country.

Expanding the geography of receiving countries for a job that is in demand can also play a part in protecting these women. Countries with stronger labour laws that protect the rights of the worker and with good diplomatic ties with Indonesia should be seen as potential receiving countries.

The creation of jobs domestically to absorb additional numbers of unskilled females may seem a good idea, but the total number of this group will increase if they are no longer allowed to travel out of the country to work.

Moreover, the Indonesian Manpower Minister's claim to send only "well-equipped and skilled workers abroad" will already exclude a large number of women. As part of the wider objective of building an Asean community that is centred on its people, a better option for Indonesia would be to raise its game in empowering women through greater access to education and safeguarding their rights and interests.

Our study was conducted based on a sample of respondents
stratified to reflect the major populations of migrant domestic workers here as
indicated by published numbers. Statistical differences were tested using
parametric and non-parametric techniques.

HOME acknowledges that in the 10 years we have been
campaigning for migrant domestic workers, there have been improvements in their
welfare and rights. Still, we have a long way to go in ensuring equal rights
and adequate protections for them.

For example, our respondents worked an average of 13 hours a
day, with 10 per cent found to sleep in the kitchen, living room or bomb
shelter. More than half did not even have a copy of their contracts on them.

Positive mental health can happen only when employers
respect their employees’ privacy and give them regular time off and rest days.
However, domestic workers should not have to depend on the goodwill of
employers to enjoy basic rights.

The Manpower Ministry should include them in the Employment
Act so benefits such as sick leave, public holidays and limits on working hours
are not left to employers to decide.

Facebook comments:

Biddy Low - How much does a maid in Singapore earn on
average? $600? Most work for nothing in
the initial months as the salary goes into paying the agencies.

Can any of the Singaporeans complaining here survive with
such an income and job scope?

Seriously, if u can't afford to properly put up an extra
person in your home. Bite the bullet and
do your own chores.

Nikki Er - I'm not sure if you
read all the threads. But we can afford to put up an extra person in our home. We (most of us) treat them well. But for some reason some are
just not contented. How well do you think we shld treat them? Before
coming here, they know their job scope. If you think you can't take the job why
apply for it?

We pay them alot better then what
they are paid back home. Here in Manila the helpers are paid $120 per month As
a helper. They do the same household chores.

My point here is tt we would love
to give them most of what they request if they can do their job well. E.g.
instead of chit chatting, watch the kids more closely. Instead of texting all
day, maybe they can do the chores better? That's all we are saying. We don't
tell them work from 6 to 11pm and no stop. Find chores to do! Clean the entire
house from the ceiling to the floor and every single corner daily!

Biddy Low - Oh, you are speaking
on behalf of all the employers in Singapore? That's bold.

Most of the replies to this
letter are irrelevant in content as a response.

As an employer of a domestic
worker, we also have a responsibility to train and assimilate the worker into
the job, specially if they are new to it. Most employers expect WAY too much
considering how much we are paying in the first place. They expect a lean mean
cleaning machine, when in fact, most of us are getting girls who left their
home to work as domestic workers because they have no choice. Because their own
country is unable to provide them with decent jobs. That does not mean we are
in comparison providing them a fair deal and that is what this letter by
Jolovan Wham is suggesting.

Another common complaint is the
inexperience of workers who cause inconvenience - perhaps, just PERHAPS the
skilled and good workers have been employed with higher pay in other countries?
This is not something made up.

Food should be provided. At $450
- $600 a month, groceries alone will kill them. This means many girls who buy
their own meals either eat unhealthily or overspend and have no savings. Unless
you expect them to teleport back to their own hometown where things are a
fraction of the prices here.

Nikki Er - I am not speaking on
behalf of ALL employers. I agree that they deserve basic human rights. While
considering their mental wellbeing, the employer's well being should also be
taken care of.

Biddy Low - Of course. No one is
saying errant employees get away scot free. But in any line of work, there are
good and bad workers. We cannot expect all the girls who come here to be ready
for your household or will fit. It's the same in any company.

Maybe Singaporeans should also
reflect on why we have such hectic lives that we place such unrealistic
standards on people we don't even know.

Cherie Chew - Pardon me Biddy,
but your this sentence is uncalled of: "if you cant afford to properly put
up an extra person in your home. Bite the bullet and do your own chores."
No one would want to keep complaining of getting a helper who in fact a
stranger and yet still have to bite your so-called bullet to hire them if we
have a choice. It is obvious that you do not have such problem, do you have a
elderly at home that you need someone to take care while you need to work? Do
you have children that you found no childcare centres available and you have to
work? How about me and my hubby who is working on shift work and retail and
having 2 kids when no one can fetch my kids even they are in childcare? If you
think that one of us should just quit our job and look after our kids, do you
think we can sustain it? For your info, i'm blessed to have a good helper now
and I faced many problems before I finally found her. Not that I'm a bad
employer but it's the mentally of the helpers that brought us or rather me to
this state. Anyway, we all have our own family problems to attend to, to take
into consideration before getting a helper, not like what you think as if we can't
afford then just don't hire them that easy.

I agree
that there are very good helpers who suffered unfair treatment, but did anyone
look from good employer's point of view? Are they well treated by the
policies or in fact is there any welfare for the suffering employers?

Biddy Low - Sorry, I'm gonna
sound very harsh here, but I mean it - DON'T get a helper if you cannot provide
a decent environment for her to work in but still expect her to work with the
precision and consistency of a machine.

To quote you - "Breaking of
contract, one shall pay all the documentation fees and 1 month salary on top of
that. Pay for own free food and lodging fees, toiletries etc. "

I completely disagree with you on
them paying for their own food. See above comment. If they break contract, they
get sent back to their country, and have to pay the agency months of their
salary again to get back here. So if a girl really decides to break contract,
it's severe enough. I don't think the law is too lax at all! Maybe you should
be challenging the agencies and MOM for the heavy costs/levees that benefit
neither the employer nor the employee. But I guess it's easier to bully the
little guy right?

We all have difficulties in our
lives to overcome, but surely it should not come at the price of squeezing a
person who is poorer than us till she is bone dry? Maids don't have families,
elderly and children back home?

Cherie Chew - That's why I say,
I'm ok with giving what they deserved, but what about those rights that
Employers deserved? Of cos it's taxing enough for them if they break contract
and have to go back their hometown paying off their debts, but nowadays it is
not the case. Most of the helpers now are smart enough to keep changing their
employers like washing clothes. Once they feel it's too much work, they asked
to leave. They just tried 3 days or 1 week, which apparently their contract is
2 years with us. So they keep hopping employers till they found someone they
like. Cases like that, we employers need to take the 'punishments' by paying
off the 'debts' they created. Who can help us? It's not our fault either, we
didn't abuse them, we told them before they arrive what is expected. We provide
all the things we could, but ended up with a 'bomb'.

You are right that gov and maid
agencies should be under review, that's why I bring up that they cannot keep
reviewing helpers welfare, how about employers? We have bad and good helpers,
not forgetting there are bad and good employers too, why are we always being
neglected in terms of welfare as an empolyer?

Agnes Sin - Biddy Low

There are always 2 sides of the
story

but whatever it is, IMHO if maid is not happy working, she is free to go but then why
the employer have to absorb the cost?

Maid nowadays are quite smart,
they know their rights Some run to embassy some run to police post, yes I
agreed BAD employers need to be BLACKlisted n BAN from getting any maid then in
that case bad maid with bad employer record too should be blacklisted and ban
from returning to work here again

But then, they can always change
their name right? The rest is history

To each its own

I am not speaking on behalf of
ALL employers but then I know as an employer u can treat them like a queen or
princess but if they have a bad working attitude problem u have lost your bet
just like gambling

As am employer I would much love
my maid to work more than the 2 years contract, but then seemed like the trend
is after their loan is fully paid, u get all the problems coming

Fyi, I m speaking of maid asking
for higher pay claiming to be ex sin ex taiwan etc but u know u have been short
changed the day u bring them home

Then with their experience, they
don't like to be told what to do too

Sometimes, I do wonder who is the
boss u know ???

But at the end of the day, I tell
myself, as long as ah gong happy, close one eye but if she push her luck too
far and climb over my head

Please pack your bag and go home!

Biddy Low - Cherie: As an
employer, don't you have the right to refuse to sign transfer papers? Then it
becomes a dispute and she gets sent home if she chooses not to continue. I was
hoping to get a helper to transfer to help my friend, because she is reliable
and has worked with us before. Her current employers refused to sign the
transfer papers out of spite, and she is going to be sent back tomorrow. Like Agnes Sin says, there are two sides of
every story.

1st maid - came 3 days, ask to go
back agent. Agent talked to her, she promised to wait for my replacement before
leaving cos I can't afford not to have a helper. She stayed whole day in her
room doing nothing. Refuse to look after my kids. *I'm forced to transfer her.

2nd maid - transferred maid cos I
don't have time to wait for new helpers. Came in, found out she's having health
issue, made a fuss with agency why can she even passed her health check.
*Failed again*

3rd helper - transferred maid.
She apparently transferred for 5 times, i'm her 6th employer in 5 months. No
choice.. In desperate mode. Came 1 month.. good! We so appreciate her till one
day.. pretend sick. Can't walk.. wanted to bring her to doc, she refused. Want
to rest. We allowed. For 2 whole days we let her 'bedridden'. Even she go
toilet, she has to stick her body by the wall to move to the toilet. Called
agent, agent talked to her and brought her back. Amazing thing is, she can walk
and carry that bulky bag of hers properly! Miracles do happen huh? * failed
again*

Total damage of all these cases
which apparently not my fault is $2k+. And I'm left with nothing but
depression. And to make things worse, I have to re - take my 'orientation' in
order to apply for my 4th helper. Pay another amt, go for classes out of
desperation and finally! Found a good one who is continuing her contract with
me. So what's wrong with me? I'm considering lucky.. Some employers face 7-8
changes of helpers... where is our welfare?

Biddy Low - Providing quality
helpers is the agency's job. Making sure they are trained and healthy is also
more the agency's responsibility than the individual maid's.

I say change agency till you find
a good one! U do realise that they are the ones who don't lose a single cent
when all this happens right? in fact with each transfer or new job, they get
money.

Going back to the original point
of the letter. I think covering the FDWs under the Employment Act will only
strengthen the system. It will make sure that the maid is not overworked (
easily one of the biggest problems encountered here) and is paid on time ( so
that employers cannot hold them hostage at home with no money.)

It might even attract the more
experienced workers to come back to Singapore instead of bypassing us for
better opportunities in Korea, Hongkong and Dubai ( so I hear, not that it's
perfect over there).

Cherie Chew - If only it will
really attract better quality helpers and not giving those unhelpful, taking
things for granted's helpers more chances to 'bully' the good employers. For
your info as well, keep changing agency meaning more money lost and I changed 3
during that bad experience. That's why my damages is as much as $2k+. We were
totally drained... I really hope if gov or authorities wanted to boost up the
welfare of helpers, we should be taken in consideration too for our welfare,
that's is my main purpose since the 1st posting I've posted.

Agnes Sin - Cherie,

Quite similar experience with u

Biddy,

Your question to me have been
answered by Cherie the extra cost incurred due to maid replacement and sending
them back

Fyi

Even when u change agency some
agency actually take maids from each other and transfer them to other agencies
n what we get may be some of the rejected maids by other employers when the
employers are kind enough not to send them back They just go round and round
till someone pick them up.

Cardetian Villanueva - Nikki Er ….. I'm sure u have a boss also ,
do you want your boss treat you like you treat your maid? Respect the person
the way you would want to be treated with respect, in other words, RESPECT
BEGETS RESPECT,

Cherie Chew - As an employer myself, I don't mind having
Employment Act PROVIDED we have our employers' rights too! Breaking of contract, one shall pay all the documentation
fees and 1 month salary on top of that. Pay for own free food and lodging fees,
toiletries etc. Employers will pay a certain cap on medical, dental fees but
not hospitalisation or stuffs. Probation for 6 months at a lower pay
till employers decide how much the helper 'worth' after that 6 months of
performance. Break/spoilt anything in the house, the helper have to pay for it
cos it's 'company's' assets. Are all of you ready for this? I am ready!

Agnes Sin - It seemed like a trend now

After 6 mths all the problems starts ...

Cherie Chew - Agnes, we cannot control their characteristics
by nature. Some of us encountered colleagues who really can't work, that's our
luck. But at least we won't have problem having helpers claiming they don't
want to work after a few days or even run away if such ACT implemented. If I'm
a helper now, I would just shut up and pray it's not going to happen, be contented.
Always remember a sentence: "When you ask for more, you lose even
more."

Muhammad Azri Sabari - Maids should
not be included in the act. They are given the luxury of staying at their owner
homes and have the luxury of free food, why cnt we focus more on the
elder workers? Also i gt 1 qns if your maid applies mc or leave will you be
able to apply leave and cover her duties especially on your busy days?

Rashed Yb - I dun see
that as a reason, IMPORTANTLY EMPLOYERS HAVE TO TAKE THEM AS A FAMILY MEMBERS
TO MOTIVATE THEM NATURALLY:)

Vhic Enciso - Sir...Please don't be rude...I seen your
comments to Miss Rina Estela Rid Mondarte..your such a rude,if you can't able
to answer her reason from her side...could you act as a good employer. ..hope
you will understand what maids feelings in their employers..

just calm sir....Allah will make you comport...good night

Muhammad Azri Sabari · Owner at Trendsetter

Vhic enciso ,Singaporean will not be rude as we are now if
you those foreigners who work in Singapore knows their manners and knw thier
root. Just look around , how many of you are making a fool of your self
"picnic" in open space, talk loudly in train,snatching away our
fathers,steal our belonging and causes other problems that we does not face in
the past. MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU WITH THE TRUTH AND ONLY TRUTH

Ai Li - Maid have to follow the roll and employer also need
to follow up, so nothing to comment. But every people is got they different way
so very difficult to say.

Raymond Ng - Subjecting foreign domestic helpers to be
protected under the existing Employment Acts means more protection for FDWs as
well as more accountability on their part - in a legal sense. It is an
extremely touchy issue as we find bad employer, good maid and good employer -
bad maid. Also, ethical agents versus unethical agents and etc. The current
legal framework is not comprehensive enough to protect employers. Public
policies are still quite bias and protect FDWs more. MOM seems to think that
such scenario is sustainable. Well,it may not and no maid is to be blamed. What
the government of both sides should be crafting is a better system to export
this domestic care service before one is deployed to work. Our dual income
family model had also caused such problems to aggravate. If one is luckier and
reasonable in their expectations, he should have lesser employer -maid
conflict. Adjustments on both ends are needed.

Today, we planned recreational facilities like paying for
clubhouse for FDWs. It is a good gesture as well as a cost to our taxpayers.
Which country out there is willing to do that? Again, which nation out there
would happily accomodate foreign workers to flood their Orchard Road, Shopping
Malls, Public Parks and MRT stations and surrounding greeneries. Which country
would allows FDWs to breach contract of specific performance and still foot the
bill for airfares and other related costs? Which country would tolerate maids working
here and accidentally got pregnant and employers has to bear responsibility to
replace and reappoint? It is a no small issue! I wonder, if Singaporeans are
all contented to live happily in a 3 or 4 room HDB flat and we only need one
income to survive and wives or husbands could live without maids, would we
solve this maids' issues? In the name of perpetual economic growths, we all
will need to bite the bullets that comes along

It is a package deal unfortunately and this is the price we
are paying to achieve the so called progress, prosperity and happiness - which
many ordinary folks may not yield! In sum, government must step in to engineer
an equitable and sustainable FDWs framework. Those aspiring to come here to
work as domestic helper should come in with full understanding of their legal
responsibilities and duties. Governments should also help them to take away the
middle man effect - thus, reducing their debt burden. Employers should also be
protected fairly. A new model of employment is thus needed. The Employment Act
could be a double edged sword. It allows FDWs to form Trade Unions and
launching legal strikes are also possible with many negatives for employers
that are caught with Elderly and school bearing children. Would we like such
rights to be awarded for people we put in our homes? Think hard and God Bless!

Cardetian Villanueva - Dearest Employers,,,i think in the
beginning we both need to adjust because of the culture and tradition, but let
me tell you something whither to take it or leave it,,,, both parties can sit
and talk, talk about the solution don't always nag and nag to your helper,
helper is a human too, its not because you pay her you need to ask her work
like a Carabao, machine may get tired too how much more your helper , ur maid
is a human my dearest, the more you nag and give her attitude or even stress
the more their HAIR drop in the floor then you more get angry, you madam/sir
need to adjust a little pls and have patient talk to her, not talk to your
neighbor about her, maid can talk to their friends too about you in vice versa
and put comparison , your friends can't help my dear employer,, pls lah be
considerate, and put God in between, i believe in Good and Bad Karma,

Rina Estela Rid Mondarte - For you sir Muhammad Azri Sabari,
not that we are free for foods and we have luxury home then we don't have the
right to have MC? Maids are also humans too, you s we live in luxury home you
called it but you never knew how some of us OFW suffers on how our employers
treat us....remember we are not ROBOTS....we still not d time to rest....And
how about others OFW that only once a month off day? It's very hard for us
because we cannot stress out ourselves. ...hopefully it can never offend you
Mr. Muhammad Azri Sabari

Lynn - Rina, is not about the day off and MC. Yes, we work
in the company there are certain benefits for us. But our company does not pay
for our house / accommodation, foods, medical check-up, and etc. if the maid on
MC then who will cover the job if the maid is hire to look after elderly or
infants? So the employment must take MC and annual leave to cover her? Then
where is the productivity on work which affected country economy?! MOM thinks
about it. This is no joke. Unless, MOM willing to subsidy the MC and annual
leave!

Cardetian Villanueva - correct,
no one want to be sick,, but sometimes we can't avoid, heres my Question Sir,
do you love your kids, if so. its ur obligation to take care your helper too,
because they are the one who take care of them, if its happen that the helper
fall sick and can't look after your kid well, or her sickness transfer to your
kid how,,,,,,? My Gush,,,, i can't imagine

Lynn Jolynn - Hello? Did anyone
here say when the helper is sick we don't let her rest?! I doubt your
understanding.

Lynn Jolynn - Off day?! What is
the thing that maid does during the off day? Getting pregnant with Bangladesh,
hang around in budget hotel area? Or influence by friend, want to terminated
the contract with no good reason and employer must buy maid the ticket and send
you back to your hometown?! Then who going to protect those employers which
having a big headache with problematic maid?! Who going to cover the employer's
lost if the maid run away or get pregnant even the employer treats her nicely?!
Hey man, use your brain to think!

Reply · · 4 · Edited · March 18 at 8:56pm

Agnes Sin - I feel u Lynn

Only those who had bad experience
with bad maids understand the frustration and agony

Actually I feel that the maids
of last 2 decades are better and hardworking too and it's cheaper too But
nowadays though their pay have up so much u still get problematic ones

Sigh

Lynn Jolynn - This man suggested
Employment Act to MOM, must well, I suggest MOM to let employer to issue
warning letter to maid who have discipline problem. After 3 warning terminate
her or change maid from agent with NO charge! As agent, don't ignore this
problem. Initial interview done by agent, agent has the to bear responsibility
too. If the agent hard sells their maid, hide everything under the carpet. Then
who's fault now? We hire maid coz we have no choice, we needs to work to boost
up the country economy and have to boost the birth rate as we love our land,
Singapore and we cant leave our elderly behind too as we love them. But these
nonsense people keeps demanding.

Agnes Sin - To be fair some maids do have bad employers n I will give the
benefit of doubts but then why employers always at the losing end?

If that is the case, then govt
better build more nursing home as we face a aging population as family need
maids to help take care of elderly too as they had their own family to take
care

Getting a maid to help take care
a elderly parent is not a luxury for some but a desperate need if not where the
$ come from if they don't work?

Lynn Jolynn - Agnes, precisely!
Like my case, I want to put my baby into infant care but no vacancy for her. I
have been tried to look all the infant care center in my area. My PILs cant
help coz they need to work. When my baby turns 6 months, I pre register her for
childcare but childcare center told me that, they have a long list. I may not
have the place for my girl when she turns 18 months. This is reason to hire
maid. I really have no choice. Will government understand us? Will our
government stands for us? They just look at the people who hire maid is a rich
person but we are not. We just simply need someone to help on behalf of us.
Then why must government left out the protection on us, as an employer of FDW?

Agnes Sin - Fm the comments here, I can see 2 types of
people

1 Maid with bad employers

2 Employers with bad maid

I think the agencies fm both sides is oso responsible for
the maid too

It is not as simple as just maid n employer living happily
after kind of fairy tale in real life when u bring a maid home fm the maid
agency It could be the worse nightmare one may have

Cham Ai Hui - Sure go ahead include domestic helpers into
the Employment Act. Just make sure they contribute 20% to cpf and pay income
tax too. And I won't mind paying employers' part of their cpf.

Nikki Er - Have any FDW thought of how employers feel when
we treat our helpers really well and they turn around and create problems for
us?

Bringing man into your employer's home, stealing, getting
pregnant, posting our children's photo on Facebook, lying to the embassy and
obliterated how we treat them just to get a transfer, taking photos of our
house and posting it on fb and complaining to your friends about your
employers, always texting instead of watching the child, allow the child to run
(not caring for their safety) while chit chatting with friends?

*Lying to the embassy about how we treat them*

Ai Li - Few is a human but we also a
human if she don't know how to respect the employer then how also we
feel very sad every month she take salary but work not properly always delay
and lazy what we have to do?

If change the new we also have to loose money again but if
never change we not happy. Morning wake late and noon take also sleep.at the
night also sleep early then employer we need to complain to who?

Vhic Enciso - To Mrs Chew, you have a lot of reason/complain maids..maybe
just take your parents thought. .and they will look after your kids...if you
dnt have trust on your maids just you should kick it out and give her freedom outside
your home..

Everyone on us were not totally perfect. ..so we can't give
a hundred % on our job our employers. ..

Agnes Sin - May I know how many of u employee work and sleep
and eat at your boss house 24/7?

The maid may be paid $500 monthly but food n accomodation
are being provided for them too

When they fall sick, employer paid for their visit to doc
too How abt visit to dentist etc Birthday presents n even bring them out to eat
at restaurant and the freedom to choose from the menu?

Have to compare apple to apple pear to pear

Does your new employer pay your salary 6mths in advance
without even knowing your performance at all?

Rina Estela Rid Mondarte - Agnes Sin, before you take a maid
in an agency, I think you surely read what are the contract stated, right? So
now why you blaming us helpers? Just blame the MOM for their laws about us
MAIDS....and about that BIRTHDAY PRESENTS? I think it's all about you and your
helper mam....if you generous enough then give ...it's not compulsory to give
gifts I think. ....

Biddy Low - Lynn Jolyn

I think what I have been saying is pretty good compared to
what your friends are trying to imply.

While I sympathise with employers here who have had trouble
finding a good helper. I don't think it's a reason at all to say all FDWs are
like that and accuse a whole group of people based on the actions of a few.

It is shocking that people here actually think being a maid
is a luxurious experience and that paying for food to keep them alive is such a
sacrifice.

That every shred of human decency handed to them is such a
high grace on your part that you cannot handle it when they turn their backs on
you.

Agnes Sin - In such cases, MOM should deal with the employer
who broke the contract and not penalised every employer with maid and adding on
the cost and burden to other employers .

Deal with the black sheep instead of killing all sheeps

Signorina Su - Great! Please add the 3 months probational
period for them too! Cannot work, cannot perform, sorry you have to go!

Agnes Sin - On top of that, no need to pay their loan for
them in advance too! Just pay their salary at the end of the month Fair deal?

Emmeriza Elep Verano - So sorry Singaporeans but most of us
have families back home.were not taking your country.just a bit of your
respect.please.thanks

Zinta Pinky - I hope mom check all employer..including my
own employer...i was in a stress ..i have no offday no phone ..no salary even i
cannot go infront of the gate..please mom to check. My contrak was so rued

Fiona Pea - What a timely reply
to this post. Able to surf and find this
article. Not bad that you can still borrow a phone from a friend. And hide for more than 20 minutes since you
are able to reply this comment. Just a
pity you can't go in front of the gate.

If this
is how your employer treats you, you should call MOM now since you have a phone
and not waste time surfing. Just
my two cents worth.

Zinta Pinky - I dont have a
simcard...i use wifi...i dont want to put my bos in problem ..i just wait they
not busy then i can talk...i care for them but they dont look at me at all...

Joann Toh - Wow.. they don allow u to go to the gate but u managed to
"borrow" a HP fr ur friend? And ur employer provides u with wifi?
Interesting! I wldnt want an employee who is being dishonest here. If you don
like the conditions tt your employer provides in e first place, y accept the
job n come over?

Zinta Pinky - Yes can my frn put
the phone on the floor thatsway...and the wifi is open so i can use..i can accept
it bcoz my agent in indonesia force me..if i dont take this job i get to pay so
much money then they will make me flight...i still accept this employer coz i
understand they are need helper but like this way make me stres..with 16 camera
in the house too

Cherie Chew - Zinta, just for
your info, taking 'free' wifi from 'open' is illegal. And there no such thing
as 'open' wifi except from Starbucks, macdonald etc places. Every owners have
own password, and shouldn't you be working right now? But here talking about
privileges? Set a good example by doing your duties right before pleading for
help.

Karen Karen - Sorry but ur story
quite unbelievable.

1) big house n friend put Hp on
floor?

2) free wifi? I want also!

3) are u paid for off day? If so
it means u agreed to it.

4) u ask mom to check but say dun
wan get ur enployer in trouble?

Zinta Pinky - On the floor mean
in front the gate side...yes wifi is open...i just want mom check and give this
notice to all employer by letter so they can understand .how u fell mum if u
are far away from family and never call them in almost 1 year. i know iam just
a maid but i have felling also same other

Joann Toh - Strange. U can use
the phone for Internet n surfing purposes but yet u can't call home? And pls,
with such a big hse, of course there is a need for 16 cameras. U think your
employer is so free to use e cameras to check if you're working?

Karen Karen - If I m your
enployer, I am not sure if I shd b happy or not. On 1 hand u care so much for
your employer. On the other u seem very free during working hours. Isn't there
a lot to do in a huge house?

Signorina Su - Dats why we hate
helper who lie.. you are one good example we have here..and very sneaky too.
You mentioned that you are not allowed to even go infront of the gate, but you
got the phone from your friend in front of the gate at the side? Unbelieveable!

If you're not happy that u dont
have an off day, speak to your employer. If you dont wish to work I'm sure your
employer, who has a 3 storey house and 16 cameras in it can afford to employ
other helpers who are willing to work for them.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Read: Maid's mental healthWinter: Why maids facing mental health received better care and attention in Spore, at the expense of FDW employer cum full-time employee of a company?? Why maids can be excusable/unable to cope with work stress? Aren't FDWs too pampered by MOM and activists? Whose job (1st point of contact) to screen FDWs and ensure they come with proper working mind and mental health? Not agency and MOM?Who should be penalised when FDW claims can't cope with work stress or miss her family, thus resulting in shabby work or self-created misery? Not FDW herself?Maids in mental distress a risk, 19 Mar 2015, ST Forum
If the study conducted by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) is anything to go by, there are roughly 44,000 maids out of about a total of 220,000 who show signs of psychological problems ("Call to give maids more privacy, time with loved ones"; March 9).

This is an alarming figure, which should not be taken lightly, or else there will be dire consequences.

A maid in mental distress may pose a danger to herself as well as to her charges, especially the elderly and infants.

While I agree with Mr Jolovan Wham, Home's executive director, that maids should be allowed to set up a strong support network to ensure that they are respected and get the help they need, I doubt many workers would dare to give negative feedback about their employers, for fear of repercussions.

Hence, they have to endure hardship and cannot antagonise their bosses, lest they be sent back to their country.

The situation is worse for those who have been working for only a few months, after having incurred huge expenses to come to Singapore.

And what about employers themselves? Some of them may have signs of psychological distress too.

Although most bosses are familiar with the law and know that harsh punishments will be meted out upon those found guilty of abusing their maids, the number of abuse cases is still high.

Such employers need to undergo counselling, as maid abuse stems from psychological problems on their part.

All these problems need to be addressed, and it might be equally beneficial to form an agency through which employers could voice their grievances or offer suggestions.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^9 Mar 2015Winter: Activists being played by an Indonesian maid who used them to terminate contract. No picture to show how 'skinny' the maid was when activist decided to post her story. Claimed she was starved and abused. I have posted somewhere in my blog that my sister's ex-Filipino fresh maid did the same to her. She jumped off a HDB level 2, hopped on to a cab and was driven for free to her agency then taken to HOME. Her intention was to terminate contract but used activists to cover her. She played along by attending interviews arranged by HOME till finally she let the cat out .... she merely wanted to go home at my sister's expense. There was still outstanding maid loan .... the headaches, money and inconveniences caused were immeasurable. That FDW was not punished. My sister stopped employing FDW.

Was she locked in her employer's home, made to work long
hours and starved as she had claimed?

Or did she make all that up to get out of her employment
contract?

The story of Indonesian maid Wahyuni and her dramatic rescue
was first told by non-governmental organisation Transient Workers Count Too
(TWC2) on its website. But in a
subsequent interview with Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officials, Miss Wahyuni
changed her story (see other report).

TWC2 insists that its version of
events is accurate. It promotes equitable treatment for migrant workers
in Singapore. TWC2 executive committee
member Shelley Thio, 54, said its volunteers, including herself, always tell
the maids to tell the truth when making statements to the authorities.

An MOM spokesman said: "In accordance with our
protocol, a statement was properly recorded with the assistance of an
interpreter in Malay, a language understood by the worker. "Before finalising, the interpreter read
back the statement to Miss Wahyuni and she confirmed the information
recorded."

So why did Miss Wahyuni lie?

Ms Thio said it was the maid's first time working overseas. "She was scared, alone and not empowered
by her employers. Not having had any day off, she had no friends, no contacts
and no access to information," she said.

The tip-off about Miss Wahyuni came in late November through
an e-mail message from the blogsite TR Emeritus. Ms Thio and Ms Noorashikin Abdul Rahman,
another committee member, went to the house in the Thomson area to investigate. Both TWC2 and MOM declined to give the exact
location of the house or the name of Miss Wahyuni's former employer.

According to the story posted on TWC2's website, the two
rescuers had to crouch outside the gate, near a ditch and trash bins, to
whisper to the maid as she was being watched.
Through conversations pieced together over several visits, they believed
that Miss Wahyuni had not had a day off in over two years, did not get enough
food and did not really want to continue working there.

This, Ms Thio said, was corroborated with the whistle-blower
and other witnesses' accounts. She also
said a large padlock on the gate attested to the fact that the maid was not
allowed out of the house. "We found
out later that everyone in the family has a key to the padlock except Miss
Wahyuni," Ms Thio said.

However, MOM is disputing the version of events that Miss
Wahyuni, who returned to Indonesia on Dec 19, had told TWC2. "In handling cases, it is important to
remain dispassionate and objective, neither favouring the employer nor the
employee," an MOM spokesman told The New Paper on Sunday.

"It is regrettable that TWC2 was
so eager to believe a story of alleged abuse and to publish a grossly
untruthful account on its website.
"At no time did Miss Wahyuni indicate that she was confined by her
employer against her will in the house."
She said that from interviews done with the maid, MOM ascertained that
"no offence has been alleged by Miss Wahyuni to be committed by her
employer".

"She was neither mistreated, abused, nor did she allege
that she was confined against her will. Miss Wahyuni
merely wanted to terminate her employment contract to return to Indonesia,"
added the spokesman. "This could
have been done lawfully by invoking the termination clause and serving out her
notice period as in her employment contract - without TWC2 needing to whisk her
away."

Straits Times Facebook comments:

Yati Porter - If you think working away from home is better without any academic qualification, well you are wrong. No matter how hard homeland can be at the end of the day you are far more better off there.

Connie Yu - Thanks to these TWC2 who might felt proud of themselves for having "RESCUED" this maid by just listening to their one sided ""STORY"".

OnJin San - Too many of them are brought into singapore...please deport and jail those agencies that keep bringing them here illegally...indirectly...many are not helping them but cheating them as well as helping fund the terrorist via money laundering...so many are brought here and displayed like slaves for hire and no skill at katong shopping centre...and the entire east coast area...why mom not check them first...mentally not even screen them too...so dangerous to those employers...

Those from surabaya...a lot of them fake their particulars and details like what mas selamat did...lie about age..lie about experience...come to home steal...kill...etc...

Gloria Tan - I have my share of good and badly behaved maids. It's getting difficult to be a reasonable employer these days as they demand for more and more. There is no fair stand here as employers are made to pay and be liable for all losses for their maid's change of mind if they decide not want to continue working here. These days, the maids I came across are not as resilient and obedient as those 10-20 years back. Generation behavior changes. Now the law must change as well to help protect employers without penalizing states' relations.

Vanz DulAnesr - not all Philippine maids are bad as you thought.... Ms Gloria Tan I agree to what you have said, but for me I think it's because some of the employers doesn't follow what exactly rules or agreement they had sign bet.helper and the employers like long ours work without extra pay, not enough food, not enough rest, not having off days atleast once a week even though it was approved by the law.... that's why helpers have the right to demand as long they are in the right, helpers can demand but make sure they'll follow the rules/law and they will do their job well....

Peter Tan - Never believe a side of any story always people tell lies for reason/s.If everyone is pure and never lie there will only be nine commandments to follow instead of ten.

Venus Matthew - They are clever to tell lie and pretend,they can act stupid in front of their employer,when they are out on their own they become Party Girls ,so many at Paya Lebar MRT,,

Serene Tan - Idiot to just trust one side. Self created joke for publicity.

Adeq Rosza - Experience this kind of maid before and now 2 years pass but still I can't forget it...
I don't take any new maid since then...it's a trauma to me...

Ah Pi Tumb - Come here to work as a maid but ask to iron clothes dun know,cook dun know sweep mop not even done properly thanks to MOM to approve them a pass this kind of bitch to work in spore..MOM can u please wake up ur fuk ing idea dont just chop n pass them blindly all just think about money n fined here n there ...

Gillian Quek-Yeong - Most of them are drama queens. I once had a maid who always pretends to faint when she is asked to do household chores. she will complain that the fan is too high and she cannot reach.. and faint.. very drama to think of it now..

SiewMei Tee Huetinck - Guess, she is trying to follow the Hong Kong case, where the Psycho got 6 years imprisonment and the employee (NOT maid!) get a chance to sue the Sicko.

Ruth Soh - Trust MOM more... Cause they have helped those who are truly mistreated before so they would know who is telling the truth and who is not...

Thomas De Vigilante - Thats the trouble with our gov. They dont care a damn. They also expect you to give your maid off days so that this maids can go out and entertain the male fts. Anything goes wrong they forfeit your bonds. How clever. Off days shd not be compulsory. If they insist then they shd pack up and leave for good. Not all employers wish to give off days to their maids for various resons such as being afraid that their maids may be influenced by other maids into prostitution or drugs etc. The MOM is not interested in what happens until they recieve complains which in most cases are the faults of the employer. This agencies are always shunning responsibilities just like their leaders who blame everyone but themself. This is a norm in our gov agencies.

Yue Sern Mok - They are made to look like they are regularly bullied and under stress. And they point their fingers at their employers. In reality, is it always like that? Are they really that pitiful? I think I sympathised more with the hookers that prowl the streets of Geylang. These are the people that are really forced into the trade. If they don't do it, their families back home get harmed. At least we now have an Anti Human Trafficking Law.

Alison Har - I don't understand the mentality of most Singaporean here, we are rich enough to get a maid to help...Yes, at time, maids are difficult to deal with. If u hv a sense of compassion, u won't say anything bad about them. We are lucky enough never will there be a chance for us to be maid in a foreign land. Whoever, said bad about your maid, pls reflect upon your own snobbish behaviour lst.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Winter: The best privacy is MOM to have a new policy - FDW to live out in the nights and all her living expenses to be paid by her, including her insurance. All existing work permit/security bond T&C tied to employer should be removed for live-out maids. FDW wants privacy, she has to pay for it and bear full responsibilities as an adult. This will also stop activists saying FDWs are overworked or caged as slaves. Probably, future FDW can leave my house with her mobile phone at 7 pm and report to work at 6 am sharp the next day. As a live-out maid, FDW bears her own living expenses, insurance, loan, boarding house, etc! Future employer only responsible to pay FDW a monthly salary ... better isn't it? FDW is happy to be out of my sight, I'm happy to remove the MOM string tied on my neck and purse. Don't make employers be FDWs' babysitters.

Call to give maids more privacy, time with loved ones, Straits Times, 9 Mar 2015
Migrant workers study finds one in 5 shows signs of psychological distress
A migrant workers group has urged employers to give their maids more privacy and allow them to communicate regularly with friends and family.

These factors are crucial in keeping maids happy, said the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), whose study found that about one in five maids here showed signs of psychological problems.

Released yesterday, the study had asked around 670 maids about their living and employment conditions, as well as their mental well-being. About 27 per cent of respondents said their employers have entered and searched their rooms or checked their phones, while 73 per cent were restricted from communicating with their friends and family members.

The maids were selected randomly and completed a questionnaire administered by Home volunteers. The study was led by psychologist Anja Wessels. Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of Home, said: "Employers should be mindful of their domestic workers' privacy and allow them to form a strong support network. This will ensure that the workers are respected and get the support they need."

The study also included questions from the Brief Symptom Inventory, a test which ascertains mental health issues. The results showed that about 24 per cent showed signs of psychological problems such as depression, anxiety and hostility.

However, these problems can be eased if maids in distress are encouraged to reach out to friends and family members and migrant workers groups, said the report. The study also found that the maids tend to work long hours, on average 13 hours, and four in 10 did not have a weekly day off.
Most maid employers kept the workers' passports (67 per cent) and employment contracts (60 per cent).

Employers interviewed said treating domestic workers like family members will help them adjust to life in Singapore better. "My maid goes out with my family on weekends. I also check in on her regularly to find out how she is doing," said human resource director Patricia Yeo, 38.

Domestic workers said they appreciate employers who show concern for them. "Some domestic workers may be afraid to share their problems," said Indonesian maid Sri Wahyuni, 33. "It helps if employers ask us how we are doing."

Straits Times Facebook comments:

Marco Gomez Correa - Obviously being forced to live in with
the employers and never allowed to go out causes lots of distress. Live in
rules are inhuman and must be scraped

Francis Minion - But maids
getting conned is real if they go out all the time most will be lead astray not
all but most then you have social issues like maid getting pregnant by some
foreign workers

Anna Lim - "Live in rules
are inhuman and must be scraped"? Excuse me, even my children have to
obseve live-in rules, so what exactly are you talking about? My helper has been
with me for ages. Are there live-in rules? But of course there are. Basic rule,
she is by no means bring any person into the house without my approval. Be sane
please, don't make it sound as if following rules is such a ridiculous thing,
it's part and parcel of life.

Cookie Tan - Anna Lim, well said!
This one-sided story sounded as if it's a living hell! But who put on the
border to all employers and caring for the person living within to go into
unscrupulous hand is wrong and stressful? Excuse me!

Nafeesa Docura - so.. you want these helpers to live on their
own, renting from the open market? Rental is very expensive and helper's
salaries would have to triple if they were to pay for their own rooms (in other
people's homes - I doubt they will be able to afford rent for a one bedder
since I can't) and their own board. This is not an ideal situation but unless
we purpose build hostels for the low income foreign workers they won't be able
to live on their current pay and most employers won't be able to afford to pay
a helper $1800as most of the employers earn around triple that (from an average
income of 3k per singaporean and assuming a dual income household). I support
part time housekeeping and caregiving and a shorter work week across the board
as a more sustainable solution but these housekeepers/caregivers will have to
be very efficient and will have to have a number of different clients to be
able to make a sustainable pay. I doubt many of the people who are currently
here as live in helpers would be willing to take the risks involved with having
so many different employers and working so fast. (I knew a number of helpers
who were from rural villages and the culture shock of having so many appliances
to use, such a high standard of work and the speed work was expected to be
completed in, made for adjustment problems. I do not mean in any way to insult
anyone - I'm just stating what I know).

Kevin Webster - Living in is not
the problem. Singaporeans need to learn to be reasonable. They treat their
maids as if they just purchased a slave. Also the authorities need to check on
maids from time to time to make sure they are not being abused, mentally or
physically and not being taken advantage of by being made to work unreasonable
hours. I have had a maid for five years now and not once has anyone come to my
house to see if she is ok. She was friends with a maid next door and that poor
girl was made to work twenty hours a day and was only allowed to eat a handful
of rice a day. My maid used to sneak food to her. No surprise she eventually
ran away as did three other maids that work for the tyrants next door. That's 4
maids running away within five years. Should that not raise a red flag with
authorities that maybe these people were torturing their maids? Maids are human
beings and it's damn time Singaporeans realize that and start seeing them as
equal human being and not lesser.

Nafeesa Docura - Kevin, MANY
employers work under the same conditions from their own bosses. No overtime or
restriction on working hours, on call at all times. I don't like the situation
but some of them really just impose the same expectations that they labour
under. the case of your neighour's helper - That sounds like a clear case of
abuse, if you ever see that happening, you can assist by calling their embassy
and letting them know one of their nationals is in difficulty, or by calling
HOME or TWC2. A lot of people are trying to help. From what I know, MOM does
put employers on black lists once an allegation is made but one of the maids
would have to report it, and often they just want to go home and move past the
ordeal. Pity. Such people should NOT be allowed to employ anyone.

Karen Koh - Francis that's not
all, what about in cahoots with external sources to plane and rob the
employers?

Marco Gomez Correa - Anna, it is
not about following rules or not. Would you like to be forced to live in your
workplace all the time, be forced to wake up at 5 and work nonstop until 11
pm... and not be allowed to leave the place even if you already finished
whatever you needed to do? Domestic helpers are persons too, who have the same
right as everyone else to have a private life, to have leisure time, to rest.
It has nothing to do with following rules or not. Of course everyone must
follow rules (at work, in the society, at school, anywhere)... this is much
more than that

Nafeesa Docura - I think that
there have been far too many cases of theft by domestic help to pretend that
this isn't an issue. Again, it's because they are live in helpers that the
whole problem arises. But they would not have a job at all if they insisted on
living on their own, because they would command salaries more than most
employers could pay alone. So what's the solution you suggest?

Marco Gomez Correa - Nafeesa,
there are boarding houses with very affordable fees. The employer could either
pay for the housing in full or share the cost with the lady. That could be a
solution.

Nafeesa Docura - are there?
please let me know where. (I'm serious, I did not know singapore had boarding
houses open to foreign workers, only dormitories). Again, why would an employer
pay for the housing of a helper, rather than just a salary? The salary of an
average local cleaner is around $1,000.00 (8 hours a day 6 days a week). most
of the helpers earn around $400 to $700 depending on nationality, without rent
or food or utilities to pay for. Would a helper be willing to take a live-out
arrangement with $1,000.00 as a pay, and pay for her own food and lodging and
transport? That's the big question for me. I don't think they would want that.
Even assuming they can find rent at $400 per month, sharing a room, they would
have to travel to their employer's homes (and it would not be a short journey,
cheap rents are in far flung areas) and they would have to cover their agency
fees and food. They may end up spending the same amount of time on work related
activity including traveling as they do actually working, and they may not
actually earn more.

Marco Gomez Correa - They should
at least have a choice. Many of them would be willing to sacrifice some money
in exchange for fair working hours and free time. (wouldn´t we all?).

Anastacia Capinpin - Aiyah so many employer put cctv camera
even the maids room to monitor the moves of their maid....i have so many
friends dealing with that such kind of inhuman treatment they just bear that
kind of situation because they need money to send for their children...one of
my friend also monitor even if she is sleeping. some of them didnt survive and
went home

Jimmy Ng - my friend's maid, hid
a bangala in the wardrobe once & was caught when she unexpectedly returns
home to puck up something en route to next appointment.

Anne Reyes - Let's assume that we
are in their shoes. We work whole day inside the house and didn't see anything,
talk to nothing, and working 12hrs some others more than that. Do you think you
can't feel distress with that kind of situation. ?

Marian Fletcher - I think its sad that we, as human beings,
need to reminded to treat other human beings as human beings..

Corrina Foxx Supaya - Treat others the way you want to be
treated... They are here to work for their family bck home as like we are
working for ppl here... How we treat them it's the way we want our bosses to
treat us it make no difference so be kind & understanding toward the helper...

Yeo Boon Teck - We allowed our indo maid to text and chat
with her husband every night b4 she turns in. My sister top up her calling
card. In return, the maid treated my ill stricken mom very well.

Mi Ka - Workers should be surveyed every month or so about
employers treatment. Employers should be banned after 3 times out if they can't
treat other human with all due respect

Karen Tan - Employers have to treat them with basic respect,
plus no ill-treating. Respect has to be mutual. Same for privacy and the
agreements between both. Domestic helpers have to learn too. They have to be
mentally prepared, they are here to work not for holidays.

Jimmy Ng - They stressed, we know & (maybe) our
problems.

We stress, then who cares & whose problems to fix ?

Joy Larsen - Exactly. If they
needs privacy and respect, we employers does too. Don't bring the story of their employers life
outside.

Jimmy Ng - They have their
bangala boyfriends to chat with, shower them with gifts & treats. Plus
their kakis chit chats on the void decks, when their bosses are @ work.

So, they're not in a sorry caged
stage as reported.

Dimzon Richell - Don't do unto
others if you don't want others do unto to you! Treat your helper well and they
happily praise you in front of their friends.

Indang Esa - We need a network
for employers of FDWs so pple will know our side of the issue.

Jimmy Ng - see. now, the bosses
are @ work. they started FBing & chatting away, until 12 - 1 pm to pick or
send the kids. If no kids, it will be until 6-8pm when the bosses returns home.
What other task they do, that occupies their time all day ? this is the rest or
slow down time, that they can relax. How bad can this be ?

Eileen Chua - I don't care what
my helper doing at hm.. as long she do her job. But she do nothing and cook
nothing for my kids.. when I go work she still sleeping when I'm sleeping she
on the phone.

Jenni Chua - There r both sides
to every story. The newer helpers, perhaps, do not hv the 'privilege/resources'
yet, to social contacts or what nots but give them time, I assure u, that
somehow, they r able to get 'access' to all these privileges/resources. My
helper, knows everything, every news, every gossips, first hand n that's really
amazing!

Rynnier Lim - The maid i share
paid with my bro to take care my old dad always seen on the phone. I kept quiet
where's my mum always complain the maid lazy because need to be reminded

Its cause me stress because i
screamed at my mum once due to this issue. Its both side of story la. Not all
maid behaves professionally, if they do, i will give big ang pow when Chinese
NY comes. This year i bought her $15 phone card only.

Sarah Priya Somarajan - For every
terrible helper story, there is a horrid, unreasonable employer story. Thats
just how it is. Similarly, for every good helper, theres a considerate employer
story.

Jim Leow - If my boss stress,
then it is our job to support him to clear that backlog / workload or whatever.
We are paid to do a job, not passing time till next pay day. If company fails,
there goes the bonus or even the job.

Of course, I am grateful that he
is divorced, hence dun have the "boss's wife poking at things in the
office causing unnecessary tension or duress to everyone else"

Sumarti Cpricorn - Im helper from
Ndonesia,has been work here in Singapore since March 2001..as im Muslim i
should say Alhamdulillah that i have very good chinese employer,so i work with
thm for 9 years,,after 9yrs they dont need helper so i transfer to other
employer tht i got expat employer. Here now i aredy work wth them for
5yrs,again i should say Alhamdulillah because my both employer are treat me
like familly. In this expat familly they give me iphone3,iphone4 and just las
week they give me samsung galaxi Tab3,they connect for me the wi-fi,,
Alhamdulillah..

Noralyn Ramos - I've been working
in SG for 13 years. I'm still single. Since I come to work here as a helper, I
never had a boyfriend. Not all maids are the same.

Kevin Webster - I have said this a billion times. When you
get a maid you are hiring an EMPLOYEE. You are not BUYING a slave. This is some
many Singaporeans do not seem to understand. As far as I am concerned a maid
and an other worker in Singapore should be given the same employment benefits
as any other employee in Singapore.

Loh Wai Poon - I agree the employer should respect his
domestic workers' privacy but it is too much to expect from the employer to
help the maid form strong support network. Maid is afterall only an employee
and our employers are never expected by the government to get their maid
friends and union membership. it is up to the maids to do this themselves. We
should not stop it or forbid it but to help them do it is too much to ask. Let
not complicate life, the maid are here on contract to work, the employer hire
her according to contract term. Anything not in the contract is up to the
individual employer discretion to offer or not. Not public movement should
compel the employers to do more as it is a delicate situation and is balanced
about right now. Any tempering may topple the balance and cause the society
dearly.

Loh Wai Poon - I am just stating
a fact, no disrespect meant. In the law, our maids are employees and are
subject to contract law protection. I never doubt the maid roles in helping our
families functioning as normal as possible. However to get distracted from this
fact and expect employers to take on extra roles is not productive for both
parties.

HuiLin Heng - We are all
employees if we are not our own boss. Nothing derogatory about that

2 hrs

Josh Arturovich Borden - I'm not
sure what you're responding to, Mr Loh, I re-read the article and guess it is
this quote from Jolovan Wham: "Employers should be mindful of their
domestic workers' privacy and allow them to form a strong support
network." If so, I believe Mr Wham was only remarking that employers allow
the domestic workers to form *their own* support network by not
"restricting [them] from communicating with their friends and family members."

In other words, just be humane.
No other action needed. Probably this doesn't apply to your case, but some
people seem to be unaware that an employer's *moral* duty is to provide decent
treatment in a a good environment, on top of legal rights. Have a nice day, everyone.
Be good to each other.

Nieva Terrano - The reason why more maid looking for western
boss while working in singaporean better salary every sunday and holyday off
once a yr.you got holyday and treat you like family even eat the same time in
the same table free internet connection which is not easy to adapt in singapore

Sharon Lin - The whole idea of live-in maids is flawed... It
doesn't exist in any other 1st world country, for good reason.

Jaeyoung Park - It does,
actually. Just that they are paid much more than maids in Singapore.

Anna Lim - Live-in-maids exist in
many lst world countries. They are known as aux pairs and are hired by the very
wealthy.

Sharon Lin - Precisely not in the
same working conditions & remuneration... What is currently in Singapore is
perhaps just slightly better than slavery.

Anna Lim - If that's the case
Sharon, then the maids here undeniably choose to be "slaves" over
being penniless & going hungry back home. We can go on and on about this.
At the end of the day, the fact remains, many are worse off back in their
countries. Look, my helper has worked for me for a long time. We treat her with
absolute respect. I have never short changed her & I appreciate the fact
that she relieves me of the many household details I would otherwise have to
overlook without a helper. It is sometimes a win-win situation for everyone.

Jerome Huu - just because someone
agrees does not mean you should do it, that's mentality is flawed.

Nafeesa Docura - ... slavery. Really. Don't equate a poor
employment contract with being property to be bought and sold and used and
abused as the owner wishes. This is NOT slavery.

Sharon Lin Having employment is
obviously better than "being penniless & going hungry" - but does
it make the situation right? To me, it's just sheer exploitation of foreigners
from poorer backgrounds & living standards... That's just my opinion,
you're entitled to have yours.

Nafeesa Docura - It's not
exploitation if these people actively choose to come here. I honestly blame the
agents. They do not give helpers a good idea of what to expect and charge far
too much in agency fees. I think it is a bad situation but trying to say all or
most helpers here are like slaves trivialises the real horrors of slavery - I
can tell you if these helpers were being used sexually by their employers the
way masters used their slaves the employers would be thrown in jail to rot for
sure, and if they were flogged, or sold, again, the employer would be in jail.
It's a pity they don't have better employment options and we can certainly
improve them but calling them slaves is just misguided.

Keong Ng - i think its good move ..i always give my maid
daily a certain period they can communicate back home with their kids ,
communicate with their parents. Although the agency allow them to call once a
month. i think thats too evil. they are also human

Wendy Lim - They are human beings also should give them
freedom.Like mine 6 yrs with me.Now going to renew her work permit,she want to
stay another 2 yrs.Imagine she stayed with me 8 yrs.I have few friends 3 to 6
months change one maid.What is the problem im also dont know.They installed
cctv at home also.

Shalynn Marc Lee- Everybody
think we employers like to invade our maid's privacy. Then, what about them
(maids) invading my own privacy upon entering my home?

There are many reasons y I didn't allow my maid to own a hp.
Y need to use hp when she can use my home phone? I pay for her IDD calling
cards ok...Never even dig her own pocket money...

I don't allow my maid to talk to my neighbours maid's.
What's there to talk about when I place my TRUST on her to do my housework??? I
paid her to WORK, not to chit chat or dating with Banglah...!!

Now my maid has been working with me for 4 yrs. I've renew
her contract. This week I'm sending her home for 1 month. I've paid everything
for her ticket, baggage and even post directly her extra things home.

So who is going to protect me or help me in case if anything
happen to the maid?? I report to Indonesian Embassy, is it?? They sure laugh me
ah...

龙泡泡 - I do allow them to make phone calls at night . To
talk to their family cos I oso hv family . But not allowing them to call back
it's too much . Of cos if during work time they have urgent calls I would allow
. But not like my current maid . Playing with her phone whole day . Selfie in
the morning .. afternoon lying on the sofa looking at the phone laughing n not
doing my house chore

Dylan Tang - I like to say that if you pay the maid $500
every month and you expect them to have a mentality of a salaried workers of
$5000. I would suggest employers take a harder and closer look at themselves.

Francis Chong - Treat others with courtesy,

consideration and respect like the way you want to be
treated by others like your superiors.

Camillus Yap - A lot of sinkies think they pay their maid a
few hundreds then they are king la. At work they kena stressed by employers at
home they vent it on their maid. Don't give bullshit reason such as they get
conned or what la. End of the day, even a dog get cooped up all day also will
go crazy let alone a human. You may as well say don't eat fish cuz you may
choke on the bones right?

Nicki Dhaliwal - Actually it depends on individual
perspective as well as the attitude and behaviour of the domestic helpers.

I'm sure employers do hv guidelines or rather rules that
these gals should abide by. They on the other hand should not violate those
rules which many of times do happen. It's sometimes just luck that you hv a
good helper who is sincerely out here to earn a living. My perspective. ...See
More

JJ-Clara Lim - This has to work both way. How about employer
stress??? Maid does not cause our stress? They choose to come here work, no one
force them. Mutual respect.

André Nurman - Where in other First World countries, helpers
do 100 different things, 16 hours a day, barely any days off, little benefits,
no Union protection for $500 per month? Not to mention the dodgy fees they have
to pay

Shirley Seah - Let maid be employed by indo embassy ...
employer engage them for hsehold work .. come in the morning, go back after 8
hrs lah ..

Andy Wong - Oh yes, pls also get them a boyfriend to
destress

Sarojini JayaPal - My helper aft 10pm always on the phone i
told her its her business.. Some time go to internet shop during working hours
to skype to her family.. I offered my home laptop she dont want need privacy so
okay with me.. But even though given her freedom n priority she is lazy n
forgets alot of things many times. My mum can clean better than her...she 69
year old n has better memory leh...So pls head of Migrants urge them to do
their part also..not only employers!

Yue Sern Mok - I still feel, if as an employer, I am not
bounded by any $5000/- bond and I am not liable for her disappearance and
pregnancy, I will definitely give her more freedom. This is to say if she
accidentally got pregnant by her bf and I do not need to spend my own money to
send her home or if she disappears tomorrow and I do not need to waste my time
and effort to find her, I will definitely give her more freedom. In fact, full
freedom.

Anthony Dullah - Accidentally get
pregnant? U mean she was raped?

Yue Sern Mok - Some maids are
meek and naive and will fall madly in love with their bfs. So if their bfs
encourage them to do it, more often than not, they will find it hard to resist.
Well, they can do it but why should I, as an employer, be responsible for her
action? I don't think you can say she is raped. More often than not, they will
be persuaded to have the one night stand. It is just like many of our local
girls that go out with their bfs. How many of them ended up having that one
night stand with their bfs. You can't say they are raped, can you?

Well, like what I have said, the
maid can do all she likes, but why should I, as her employer, shoulder her
responsibility?

Nafeesa Docura - anthony, these
helpers (generally female) and foreign construction/landscaping/manufacturing
workers (generally male) are unable to bring their families here on their
passes (because their pay is really really low and they don't have accomodation
that would allow for a family). there have been cases of romantic attachments
between these two groups, and this sometimes means physical relations.
Employers here have paid a bond to cover the medical expenses of their helpers,
and to ensure that these people don't attempt to live in singapore illegally
(their passes are only valid for one or two years) and would have to pay for
the medical costs of a helper's pregnancy and/or if she runs off. this is
partly why emplyers are really strict about off days and handphones. They have
been placed under a duty to watch the helper, in that sense, and they'd lose
out if the helper did get pregnant.

Encious Jie'er - Too good to them they take advantage,
control them become abuse...so best dont get a maid if u cant trust a
stranger...used to have a maid too good to her and than...bring man home, lost
of heart to take care my grandpa..so send her back and no more maid..

Cheng Pei Hsia - I think if you chose to leave your country
to work as a helper or any other work in a different country, you must have a
mindset that you are not coming out to go on a holiday. Every household have
their own rules and regulations. Trust and respect needs to be earn. Helpers
must learn to adapt to different household and try to fit in. It would be good
that each household could also understand that all helpers comes from different
background and upbringing. We are must give them some time for them to bland in
with our lifestyle. It is more tiring to train a new helper when things dont
workout.

龙泡泡- As a employer - we shall
treat them like our own family member n hoping they will treat us n our kids
the same .what ever we are eating definitely she will hv a share . I do hv
camera at hm . But in my room to look at my kids n my safe box .. not in her
sleeping area . I do allow them to hv phone or borrow my phone to call back .
But only at night time or when they hv finish their work . Or they hv urgent
call to make I'm fine .. getting a maid is lucky or unlucky . My maid in the
morning she will take Selfie in the house n keep laughing . Afternoon she will
lie on my sofa n keep chatting legs keep shaking . At night if I'm not hm . She
will sleep on my bed with my kids n chit chat talk to loud on the phone . Is
all these too much ???

Susan Chan - Of course maids will feel distracted ... their
employers always spot check/keep close to them where ever they go or make trunk
calls to overseas.They also must have their own privacy ... if not they will
feel stressful and do something foolish or harm your members people at home
especially those got babies/small kids at home rely on maids.Like we employees
also got the same feeling ... Please think twice!!!

Reena Kris - My own personal experience to share...give more
personal n privacy to domestic worker...they will start to b greedy. For
e.g..snatch away husband, money n everything but in the eye if govt...act as
innocent. Worse still hve baby with employer n on the pretext of visiting
homwtown...give birth. I no longer trust maids...cos i hve gone tru alot becos
of them. They wreak my marriage life..

Samuel Tan S B - Both sides of the coin must be looked
after. A foreigner conned by maid agency ended up doing stupid things just to
get their employer to send them back. Who bears all the cost? Employers.

1 · 4 hrs

Nur Dianty - Stop complaining and do your job,or just pack
and go home.Enough is enough.Go to other country to get a better treatment if
you thing Singapore not giving you a better hospitality.

The only things they never forget is to have all the freedom
and privacy.But they always forgotten about why they are here and their
responsibilities!Majority are useless.Give them an inch,they want a
yard!Ungrateful creatures!And read carefully what i wrote
here,"Majority".

Arlyn Sarabia Salarzon - I have been counted myself as one
of the luckiest helper here in Singapore coz my employer for 8yrs
Mr&Mrs.Francis (Lai Hee Aw and their whole family treated me very very well
since I came her for the very first time, being a stranger I never ever felt
that I am one coz they loves me like their family member, I'm so thankful to
God that He brought me to you Madam and Sir ,,,I am so Blessed to have you
all....the word "thank you" it's not enough to pay you back but God
will pay you back double the joy,double the victory...GOD BLESS YOU

Analiz Medado - Why most employers following the agencies
rules?They should bear in mind that once they hired a housemaid ,they
responsible for taking care of them and giving them all the benifits as well as
the right to be happy while working with them..

Cookie Tan - How about talks time to survey the employers on
what causes them to make lot of restrictions to the domestic helpers? One-sided
story!

Charlene Mah - Some maids are ungrateful, you give them freedom
and privacy but they will take you for granted.

Penny Anthony - Its pitiful how some maids are treated.
There are so much publicity about how badly maids are treated, there's two
sides to a coin and more than often we too as employers get cheated. Honestly a
gd bulk of income frm a middle income household goes to these helpers to HELP
us with household chores and minding our kids while we too early our income.
Don't even begin with privacy cos wen u hv a maid at home u hv to be prepare to
FORGET yr privacy. CMNN( cable maid news network starts wen our kids play at d
playground at daily gatherings. Personal happenings are shared. Not only that its
their time to trade Tips and pointers on how to better themselves at getting
More frm us employers. Please for goodness sake. It all comes down to Choices
and these are choices they make. So I think those who are treated well,
sometimes want more its also very difficult to find maid who are appreciative
for given a chance to work and to value their good employers instead of wanting
more and more.

Nur Dianty - And do you think all employer go to work to be
treated 1st class?And do you think,those non Singaporean treated we Singaporean
at work with manners?Lol...

Gena Yeo - It take 2 hands 2 clap! There r nasty employers as well as nasty
maids too!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^8 Mar 2015Activists/MOM, please don't use human rights as an excuse and ruin our lives or place our jobs at stake. Most Sg employers are nice and reasonable people but in return, get bullied/played on by FDWs, source countries and agencies. It doesn't pay to be a nice and generous employer. We need new policies to show that being a nice and generous employer will be fairly rewarded, as well as appreciated. Employer: FDW is no longer a help to Spore families. They are a problem.Activist: we have to accept all the social issues that come along with a maid. Maids are humans and we need to respect them as humans. Today, we cannot find any such cruel advertisement “Domestic Help Available- No Off Day, No Hand phone, No Problems” – Because it is cruel, it is against human rights and it must be banned! Working in an environment without freedom to communicate via hand phone is no different from being a prison without freedom. FDW is not a worker anymore but a slave or a prisoner. Every maid wants to have a hand phone. This trend is irreversible, just like MOM's off day policy, like it or not, this is the right way. Employer: In real life, once FDW has hp, she will spend more and more time - chatting to don't know who, I mean in the sense of wonderment that there are people with whom they can chat with, like no need to work or going online posting nonsense, finding boyfriends, etc. If the FDW can self-control, I don't think employer will complain nor stop the usage. Trust has to be earned but unfortunately, FDWs like to demand the trust before they can earn it.

Once a privilege is given, it becomes a right. Employers are now at the mercy of ill-disciplined & irresponsible maids, as well as unscrupulous maid agencies.

Maid activist posted on 4 March, 2015What is wrong with you?? Maids are there to help that does not mean you own them. They're helpers not slaves. I know that the Chinese tend to treat maids (anyone lower class than them) as low class citizens and deprive them of basic rights... Thanks for confirming this stereotype. And all that rubbish about not allowing maids to use the washing machine- technology exists for a reason. If you don't like clothes being mixed then she can wash her stuff separately no?I'm Indian american, I have family in India which manage several maids, not just one and Ive never heard of such nonsense. Please get it together and drop this employer-Nazi attitude.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^FDW's passportMOM is definitely pro-maid. If your FDW request to keep her own passport, ponder before you employ her. Employers are keeping FDWs' passport as a form of security. MOM may come after you for withholding your FDW's without her consent so if you want to safeguard yourself from errant maid or fighters (MOM/activists) for migrant workers, get the prospective maid to agree in writing BEFORE you hire her, in the presence of agent. State some sort of compensation just to prevent maid from playing games or a compulsive liar. When a maid runs away, you're fully responsible for her till her name is removed in MOM's record. Any maid loan, fees and time spent on her could be gone - unrecoverable. If FDW gets hurt, you are liable to pay the bill. Note that at least 50% of your security bond will be eaten by MOM if you can't find her. Do you want to get into such a shit? Prevention is better than to be sorry.The reason why employers should keep FDWs' passport is to prevent maids from running away. Runaway maids are not those who were abused but are those who can't accept a FDW's job scope, poor working mentality - wanted a job that has plenty of free time and little chores. Maid ran away simply because she was too pampered and misused her 'rights'. A FDW who threatens to go back home/agency or intentionally left your in the lurch is defined as a bad and irresponsible maid. MOM/activists side bad migrant workers, they have a truly soft heart for them. Nobody will protect employers' interest except you (yourself).I don't see a reason why FDWs should hold on to their passports. If maid insists on keeping her passport, that smells a rat! Why does she need her passport? She plans to moonlight in Malaysia/Batam during her off days? She has lots of money to go overseas for sightseeing on her only off day each week? Take note, if agent insists that you shouldn't keep FDW's passport .... leave, such an agency will not offer good after sales service. Agent cares for her pocket, not you! She could be in cahoots with FDW and planning her next transfer as runaway maid. Don't bother to explain or highlight your fears, such agency obviously doesn't care about what may happen to you. Same case for FDW who demand for freedom to use her mobile phone. Any agent who insists FDW should use her mobile phone freely should be avoided. We need a domestic worker, not receptionist or 'customer service hotline person'. Maid can use her mobile in the night but not during the day - distraction. If FDW appears unhappy or bargaining her usage and you want to avoid a potential bad worker, leave, find another agency. I am sure you have plenty of choices.... click to search for an agency near you. Any agency advocating human rights ought to reflect on themselves... start treating FDWs like human beings, not commodities or their money making tools. Secondly, don't earn so much heartless money (maid loan) from FDWs. Preach is easy... doing right is another thing.

One of the interview questions to ask prospective FDW, "Does or Can employer keep your passport?" Listen to what she says. Her uneasiness is a sign that she shouldn't be employed. A maid who ask for too much 'rights' is very hard to manage or work with. Yes, she's a human but that is not an excuse to deliver shabby work or be a liar.Maid is employed to help you. She is not somebody deserving 100% of your trust. Trust is built over months of work, not the moment you decide to employ her. There should not be any issue for employer to keep maid's passport if FDW really wants to work for you. Only those unsure or planning something will say she wants to keep her passport or claim that's part of human rights. To me, these are excuses. Seriously, would a maid need her passport while working for you? If she has to take home leave, she'll certainly get her passport back. If she need to renew her passport, I don't see a reason why employer should refuse and then cause her work permit to be revoked. Nobody will be nice and help you when you faced a runaway or lousy maid. MOM will continue to shake legs, although you've paid levy promptly.Always remember, in Spore, the fighters - MOM, Ministers (eg Halimah Yacob) and activists are bringing us miseries. If you don't try to protect yourself, don't cry over spilled milk. Yes, you should give people the benefit of doubt .... if you can afford the losses and inconveniences. Once maid's work permit has been approved, you're the legal guardian cum maid's babysitter. It is your duty to ensure maid is well-fed and cared for till the day her name is removed from MOM's record. MOM’s “Guide to Employing a domestic worker”: You [Employers] must not retain your FDW’s Work Permit. She [Domestic Worker] should carry her original Work Permit with her at all times for inspection on demand by any public officer.You [Employers] must not retain your FDW’s passport without her consent. If prior consent was given for you to safe keep the passport, you must return the passport to your FDW upon her request.^^^^^^^^^^^^^Bringing home boyfriends a key gripe about maids, 16 Jun 2014, Straits TimesBringingboyfriends home, stealing, and hitting the children are the top three complaints employers make about their maids, major agencies here told The Straits Times.These complaints are lodged with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), which receives an average of about 200 complaints a month, a spokesman said yesterday, in response to queries.The figure represents less than 0.1 per cent of the 214,500 maids here as of December, MOM said. The ministry has been collecting feedback on maids since 2010 to help employers make more informed hiring decisions.Complaints against a maid may be flagged to prospective employers when they apply for a work pass for a maid on the MOM online work permit system. They have to sign a letter to confirm that they know of the complaint if they decide to hire the maid. Prospective employers will not be told the nature of the complaint, but can call the maid's previous boss for details. About half of them leave phone numbers. Agents say most maids with a complaint against them are not hired here again. Orange Employment agency owner Shirley Ng said: "They won't get a second chance to work in Singapore."Best Home Employment agency owner Tay Khoon Beng added: "Most employers won't even call the previous employer to find out more. They just say no." Foreign worker activist Jolovan Wham of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics said the feedback system is "unfair". "Some of the complaints, such as having a boyfriend, are unreasonable as they have no bearing on the ability of the worker to perform her tasks," he said.But some said they welcome feedback on their maid, and added that it was up to them to make a call. Businesswoman Fiona Lee, 47, decided to hire her Filipino maid though she was accused by her previous employer of pinching her child. "She explained that it was not true, and I decided to take the risk. In the end, she met my expectation, which is to take care of my daughter well," she said.Mr Karl Tan, owner of maid agency Inter-Mares Management Services, said it is only fair that employers speak to the maids to find out their side of the story. Nation Employment managing director Gary Chin said a poor track record does not mean a maid will stay a bad worker. "It may be because she needs more time to adapt. We have seen many maids who were transferred a few times but do well later," he said.Comments:Roman Franta: Maids are set to lowest level in Singaporean society and parents teach children to do not respect them. This create another, new generation of arrogant Singaporeans and as they even less respect the Maids, the connection to the children and employers from imprisoned and socially lowered poor girl getting colder. It's actually miracle that those Maids still love the kids.

Singaporean woman should remember their past when majority of Singaporean woman were employed as maid for British soldiers based in Singapore in the near past time. Many or those Singaporean Maids are still here, almost every old woman in Singapore was maid when young. I don't believe the British treated them so badly. Looks like they using the me do to prove themself that they raised up in the social statement but real civilised culture is measured differently. And most funny is that today maids are asked to address the employer Sir and Madam. It's funniest Sir and Madam I ever seenDimple Anne: your absolutely right..only 10% Singaporian employer are good and treat their helper as a part of the family,,the rest are so called arrogant.Marivic D. Chan: Roman Franta ur right..it depend inly how they treat thier helper but mostly employer treat their helper as a slave,no enough sleep,rest not following MOM rules and regulations salary dont pay the right amount.Some also they dont allow to take off dont pay the remaining sunday off that they dont go out.correct me if im wrong.alot of employers violation right? Now tell me if you treat ur helper good you follow as what we ask.simply i dont think helper will dis obey you..any way helper always say yes mam yes sir.dating during off day is not your business already .they have the right to do what they want outside employers house.but bringing inside the house is not good u should send her home.so problem is solve.but mostly try also to do ur obligation us an employer coz mostly we are always down by singaporeans.DONT HIRE HELPER ,STAY AT HOME AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILDREN IS BETTER.....Reynald Ganancial: If you don't trust your helper so you don't have to employe.just stay at home and do what the helper need to do..Ravichandran Sahngitha: Wat's the point? The Employer are the one whom loses their money at end. They should bring a new rules refund should apply to all agencies if this sort problem is with proof coz if we return the maid we still need to pay for the next replacement. Which is a lost to all employers only. Coz maids will be transferred, agency will get us replacement with a fee. This should change then, there will be a stop to it. As then agencies will filter their maids before distributing out to employers.Jambu Ang: The sole winner in these cases is the Maid Agencies.... making money out of the maids and the employers....

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Activists said this during the International Domestic Workers' Day, 15 June 2014, held in Spore."All too many employers and employment agents subject domestic workers to verbal and psychological abuse to instill fear in them and to make them subservient. They also do so because of prejudices," said TWC2 president Russell Heng. "We all have a responsibility to help realise domestic workers' rights." Over 150 Filipino and Indonesian local domestic workers took part in the celebration of the International Domestic Workers’ Day (IDWD) organized by local non-government organisation (NGO) , Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) yesterday.The International Domestic Workers’ Day is celebrated each year on 16th June after the International Labour Organisation ‘s Convention on Domestic Workers also known as C189 was passed in the International Labour Conference on 16th June 2011.Russell Heng: Why is C189 important? It seeks to extend basic labour rights to domestic workers round the globe and lays down the principles of employment. This convention reminds us that domestic workers are also employees, should be accorded fair wages, a weekly rest day, safe work environment, prospects for personal development and social integration and freedom to express their concerns. These are principles that have been so easily neglected.C189 provides a comprehensive set of employment standards for domestic workers and ensures that like all workers they should be employed in conditions of freedom and dignity. Only 14 countries have so far ratified the convention.

Unfortunately though not surprisingly, Singapore is not among them. Among countries that are significant source countries for migrant domestic workers in Singapore, only the Philippines has ratified the convention. (Winter: Philippines has so many demands from Spore, of course they will endorse so that they can make more money from its own citizens and us. Philippines is a source country, not a country that hires domestic maids ... ridiculous!)Domestic worker from the Filipino Family Network (FFN), Angie Jerez said that apart from providing an event where they are able to mingle with their fellow domestic workers, it is very beneficial and informative for the domestic workers they were educated about the labour laws stipulated by the Ministry of Manpower and what to do when confronted with situations such as pregnancy. (Winter: FDW Pregnant is a violation of work permit conditionsyet wants to know what to do.... at employers' expense? Two things I can confirm, you'll get a free ticket home and your Employer will be made to absorb your irresponsible actions. Maid should compensate employer for breaking contract and purposely doing what you are not suppose to do as per MOM employment terms. You want a FDW job, this is one of the working conditions. Accept it wholeheartedly or Don't come! Don't tell me you don't know the terms ... liars and loafers! Activists/FDWs just want to find more ways to take advantage of FDW's employers. You knew FDW can't carry out a good job as a pregnant maid. You expect employer to let go of her/his job, sit at home/hire somebody to take good care of FDW and then allow maid to enjoy maternity leave as well as give the child citizenship? Aren't you too much? It is not a right and ethical way for you to use human rights/treated as human being as an excuse to be bad. Seemed like encouraging FDWs to be bad legally at employers' expense, no need to bear any losses or consequences, you felt this is fair to another human being? Aren't you selfish and disgusting?)Although Singapore has legislated a mandatory weekly day off for domestic workers in 2013, a survey by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) reveals that only one third of newly arrived domestic workers receive a weekly day off. There are some domestic workers who choose to work in exchange for cash. However, many are coerced by employers to work on their rest days and are not given a choice to take a day off. (Winter: Are you sure no choice? FDW can say she doesn't want the job and stay in her country, don't fly to Spore. Once FDW agreed to the terms, stepped foot into Spore, you owe Employer - she/he paid for your services and fees. You cannot lie, purposely break the contract or claim you were not given off days after she/he paid for your services. No employer is able to force FDW board the plane to Spore. You made the choice when you were in home country so don't be a wolf in disguise, cheating is not a virtue. If maid agencies misinterpreted or mislead you, bite them, leave employers alone)Ummairoh, representative from The Indonesia Family Network (IFN): Since 2013 1st Jan, saying that all domestic workers in Singapore, we have to (be given) day off every week. But unfortunately, some of them, employers give alternately… Most of them are fine… most of them not giving day off, they prefer giving a lump sum (of) money to the domestic worker not a day off. And I am really disappointed with that because its a human being… as a domestic worker. We need a rest. We need a day off from the six days working in the house. We need rest, we need to freshen up, we need to meet fellow friends, say hello.. Its not about having fun but to release our stress. Despite a law to control fees paid by domestic workers to secure employment, many employment agencies still get away with charging workers more than the terms allowed under the law through underhand methods. Domestic workers who are still servicing their loan are coerced to continue to work even though employers mistreat them so that employment agencies do not lose out on their profits.(Winter: Agree for both Employers and FDWs. Maid agencies are the middlemen and should ensure we didn't pay fees to get into a wrong relationship. If maid must have off days and 24/7 mobile phone usage, find her employer who is willing to take in a person like her. If she can't find any employer to employ her, let her rot in her home country. Spore doesn't owe source country and its citizens a good life. Don't think you have the rights to bully or fleece us!)^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The woman is said to have forced one of her two maids to eat her own vomit, and taken photos of the maid naked after making her strip. The woman's husband apparently hit both domestic workers repeatedly and tried to shove an incense bottle down the throat of one.

Yesterday, the couple - IT manager and sales manager were hauled to court to face 32 charges, mainly of maid abuse. Man faces 21 charges, allegedly hit Indonesian maid Fitriyah and Myanmar maid Moe Moe Than with canes, a metal clothing hook and a bamboo stick at his flat in Yishun Avenue 6 in 2012.

Woman faced 11 charges, allegedly slapped both maids and caned one of them. Her most serious charge was for allegedly using a funnel to force sugar into Than's mouth and making her swallow her own vomit.

I've removed the names of above abusers.There have been many cases of bad employers, all in big fonts and pictures 图文并茂，how come these bad employers still 'don't learn' 不怕死 不怕被制裁？These employers must be very rich, can afford to have 2 FDWs and not afraid of being fined or legal actions taken against them. Because of all these bad employers, activists are almost everywhere. Pick 20 strangers from the road, ask them do they have a maid. Then ask them to made a stand, will they back the FDW's employers or fight for the maids? I believe ... if I'm not a FDW's employer, I would back the FDWs without hesitation because maids have been protrayed as vulnerable by MOM and media.
If I get to see news of such employers, I will certainly pity the maids, in limelight, how can I miss it? Employers punished the maids and made them fight/cane/slap each other. Just one abuser such as above will lead to a tidal wave of supporters 同情 for FDWs. Ironically, if the maid is the abuser/murderer, employers and victims didn't get sympathy. Activists/Law makers tend to think FDW was forced to take revenge, retaliate for her own protection, nothing wrong because Employers "were at fault"! Above abusers are crazy, spoilt the market, no wonder I tried so hard but not many people believe, sympathize and stop being so harsh on me... the MOM law is not in our favour for so many years! It will continue because we are wearing the "Employer" hat, very hard to get activists/law makers to understand and help us.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Treat maids with dignity, April 2014, TODAY
Maids are part of many families here, especially young working adults with needs such as eldercare and childcare for family members. Without helpers, these families would have to cope with attending to household chores and their family members’ needs.

By filling these roles, maids have been crucial to building up fully functioning families. That a maid’s job is a noble one must be recognised, and they must be treated with dignity.

Foreign maids have to make the effort to adapt to our culture, languages, food and system on top of doing their job. (Winter: How many modern FDWs making effort to adapt to us? If they have good working mentality, we won't be having so much headaches and losses) As their employers, we have a responsibility to observe and comply with fair and agreed employment terms. Late payment of salary, long working hours with no rest day and non-domestic work demands would be deplorable and should be deterred by law.

The more serious cases of mistreatment are often a combination of causing hurt and degrading verbal abuse. Often, these maids are made to suffer in silence.

We should always send a clear signal that we, as a society, do not condone such behaviour and that the full force of the law would be applied without ambiguity.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^What are you teaching child by the way you treat maid? The Straits Times, 20 Mar 2014The ongoing discussion on the rights of foreign maids to days off and leisure spaces is not just about how the Singapore state should treat its foreign workers who contribute to the economy. Nor is it only about relations between domestic workers and employers. Ultimately, it reveals who we are as a society, and what kind of culture and values we hold dear.

Most intimately of all, the way we treat a domestic worker sends strong signals to our children regarding the ethics we live by. (Winter: if maid is a mother and chose to sleep around with men, Employer should cheer them ... good ethics, good mother & wife? More and more FDWs are sex/men deprived 不自爱 淫乱 滥交 不责任 what signals are they sending to employers? Fright, Financial Losses, Reluctance to give Off days and more Bad Attitude!)The values and beliefs that make up a culture are not passed on through textbooks or formal education alone. Culture is produced through everyday practice. Values are learnt through micro interactions and everyday observations. This is demonstrated embarrassingly to parents when children parrot kid-inappropriate words, or mimic the anti-social behaviour they observe in adults.

When people resist efforts to improve the dignity of workers, they embody values of injustice. When we protest every little "inconvenience" whenever the maid is on annual leave, or when we are obliged to share space with people from different classes or ethnic backgrounds, we put into practice attitudes of superiority and intolerance. Sociologist Raka Ray and anthropologist Seemin Qayum argue in their book Cultures Of Servitude that children growing up with servants learn much about inequality, class, gender and ethno-racial differences from experiencing the employer-servant relationship every day.

Too often, children learn that some humans - their needs, opinions and aspirations - are less valued and valuable than others. In Singapore, some children learn that their caregivers are different from them when they see their "aunties" sleep in spaces with little privacy. (Winter: Want privacy? Give FDW a room? You thought all Employers live in landed property or have plenty of rooms? Luckily MOM didn't legislate FDW must be given a room because many Employers cannot offer a room. You expect Employers or children to sleep in the living room so that the VIP live-in maid can have a room?) They see this person attend social gatherings only to help with menial tasks. Most kids also learn that this is the only person in the household doing chores before others are up and long after others have finished work. (Winter: Mine gets enough sleep so don't accuse all Employers are slave drivers, denied FDWs with adequate rest. Yes, I know there are really bad employers and I also know there are extremely bad/abuser/murderer FDWs. All are humans, aren't they?)

The maid is the only person working every day - often with only one or two days off a month (Winter: Some employers worked longer and harder than FDWs, no off days! You thought everybody have good life like you?), sometimes with none at all. Many children also hear adults flippantly discussing their "maid problems". Despite this, many such children love their caregivers and listen when given instructions.

But a fair number can also be heard discussing caregivers among themselves with language like "my maid" and "your maid"; or barking orders and making loud demands. Many even rely on domestic worker caregivers to do things that non-disabled human beings their age should be able to do themselves. It is true that the needs of some families cannot be met by family members alone. Many Singaporeans also treat domestic workers decently. The employer-domestic worker relationship can be a positive and fair one. (Winter: Agree but just one bad sheep is enough to ruin the rest 老鼠屎)

But it is time to set higher standards. Days off, living wages, access to leisure and public space are basic requirements for human well-being. Last year, when a law to give maids one rest day a week or pay in lieu came into effect, gender equality advocacy group Aware pointed out that this was an important step towards upholding human rights(Winter: Many demanding FDWs are using this as an excuse or weapon to fight. This is incorrect and unfair to nice employers, we are affected by activists/pro-maid MOM's harshness and inconsiderate advocates/laws)that are meaningful only insofar as all people have them.

Two years on, we continue to see resistance to the introduction of this basic human right.

As a society, it is time to set higher standards for ourselves. Singaporeans should stand up for domestic workers' rights because our culture and values are at stake. (Winter: Please find an ocean and get drown) Who are we? Who do we want our children to be? Do we hope our kids will treat people with respect and not take their privileges for granted? Do we want our children to learn that being human is not just about doing well in exams but about performing basic tasks to take care of themselves? Do we want them to see the home as a place of equality and respect rather than injustice and exploitation?

If so, we have to start here.

These relationships with domestic workers shape many of our homes, and increasingly influence our social ties and interactions beyond the home. As society ages, there will also be a greater need for caregivers in various forms. All Singaporeans, regardless of whether or not they employ domestic workers, are responsible.

We all live in a society that is cultivating new norms about gender practices, as well as racial and class inequalities. All of us, like it or not, produce "cultures" around domestic labour and the people who perform them. The attitudes we take and behaviours we model for the children will shape our present and future.

The writer is assistant professor of sociology at the Nanyang Technological University and board member at the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).^^^^^^^^^^^^^Educate prospective maid employers, Straits Times Forum, 25 Mar 2014Problems related to domestic maids have been continually surfacing. A possible way to ameliorate this is to match employers' expectations with what the maids can deliver.

We must understand that when maids come here, especially for the first time, it could be intimidating and a culture shock for them - more so if they hail from villages, where they were never exposed to the trappings and demands of a fast-paced modern city.

For the maid, she has to cope with leaving behind her family, friends and even her children. This, coupled with the daily household chores of cleaning, washing, cooking and tending to children or elderly folk, could subject her to tremendous stress.

Many employers expect their maids to learn fast and to perform tasks up to their expectations. This is often not possible within a short period.

Very few employers are patient. Some resort to verbal or even physical abuse, which only serves to confuse and anger the maids. In order for the employer-maid relationship to flourish, the employer needs to understand the maid's cultural background and emotional state.

The maid has to be treated with dignity. She needs time to learn; she needs to be sufficiently fed and be given adequate rest; and she needs time off to recharge.

Maids undergo training to prepare them for the tasks ahead, and to facilitate their assimilation into their employers' households.

Isn't it time for prospective employers to undergo a course to make them aware of what to expect - to moderate their expectations, if necessary - and their role in forging a good employer-maid relationship?

Lawrence Loh Kiah MuanWinter: Sigh, another person talking creep "understand the maid's cultural background and emotional state"Why no activist or maid try to understand employer's cultural background and emotional state +the reasons/dilemma ... forced to employ a costly live-in stranger aka maid? Think I have money nowhere to spend? Thought it is a joy to have somebody calling 'mam/sir'? Thought giving in (again and again) to meet maid's expectation or so call her needs will result in a better relationship? Not all maids are appreciative.All these 'better welfare' will only let maids be more demanding, stop/not keen to improve their performance and think we cannot live without them. Maid will think she deserves to be treated well regardless how bad her job performance is. Maid will assume employers will tolerate her due to her 'not too good background' ... including unsound mind or come to work with the intention to cheat ... become playgirls, work little but enjoy life to her fullest. All these are facts - treating a FDW nice, too accommdating to her needs will only get more brats!! You give an inch, she wants more. Take the case of mandatory off day. What did employers get in return for giving weekly Sundays off? Additional headaches and more responsibilities (tied by MOM)!! You felt all these are fair to employers? Why we paid more yet getting FDWs with lower quality and working mentality? Why training is = to untrained or not trained to Spore context? Why MOM allows such bad business practice to happen for so many years?Just because of the hat 'Employer', we deserve such treatment from our own countryman or govt? I am a very transparent employer who not only say (during interviews) and recap why I need a FDW, I even typed out the job requirements (agencies were the ones who got shocked and felt I don't have to be so clear) +showed prospective maids a video of my special needs child walking around the house and house rules but what did I get? Maid lied to get a job because nobody else wants her. She felt she is capable of bullying/managing me. My current filipino maid is thinking of going for home leave again (went back last Dec) but on the other hand told me she has no money! Tell me, who is being unrealistic and demanding?Who has been the one to be understanding and trying to match FDW ... trying to keep her as well as avoid spending money to recruit again? Told JA about mobile phone restriction but on Day one, she wanted 24/7 usage. Told me she wants to stay connected to her family but how much time did she really spend with them, certainly not daily! I can't understand Tagalog but I know whether she has dialled local calls or overseas.她觉得我很苯，蠢好欺负？太多无聊人士 自以为自己做得对，假仁假义 自以为行侠仗义 对我公平吗？希望这些假仁假义之人会招天遣 ....让你偿偿 无奈与不平的滋味。^^^^^^^^^^^^^Taking advantage of employerOne of the writers for maid's Facebook posted this:As I was writing this post Eileen Chong kept asking why I sugar coating the truth. Why don't I just take a stand instead of caring about how the truth might shock people. Because maybe, just maybe, the truth can shock people into giving a damn.

No one in their right mind would want to be a maid all their life. At some point, they would want to move on. And as decent human beings, we should support them in that journey. This is how I really feel. I don't think the conversation should be "why help" domestic workers, but how. Because by helping people at the bottom we are helping address what's really wrong in the world.

By empowering people with more sustainable choices in life we are helping future generations, we are helping communities. It is possible for every single one of us to use our affluence and influence to not only live comfortably, but to make a difference while doing so. So. we can make a difference by giving the gift of education.

Winter: Maids, your work permit showed FDW. You can upgrade at your own cost and time (eg off days).Don't assume employers owe you a living, should give you opportunity or chance to become somebody else. In most companies, employee don't get paid training. Employee learn with hands-on or study using their own time and money. Some companies sponsored courses by having bonds. Would those 'keen to upgrade' maids be able to perform a good FDW job and stay till the 'bond' ends, means do not terminate contract or play games to infuriate employers ... get transferred out or repatriation? WE PROVIDED MAIDS WITH IN-HOUSE FREE TRAINING AND PAID FOR YOUR LIVE-IN EXPENSES. Those training your agency charged you at high fee are mostly irrelevant. We've to train you so that you can do a good job as FDW. It is not our duty to provide you with irrelevant training or upgrading opportunity. Don't assume we are stupid and don't know what you're up to. Come here to work in the name of FDW but wants something else at employer's expense.^^^^^^^^^^^^^Singaporeans have 'duty to be kind to foreign workers', Straits Times, 24 NovSingapore has laws to protect foreign workers' rights but citizens also have a responsibility to be kind and humane towards them, said Professor Chan Heng Chee yesterday.

Most people here already have a sense of decency, she said in opening remarks at a migrant workers' group event, and would help strangers in need and not begrudge the Government helping the poor and elderly.This attribute should be cultivated and extended to how migrant workers are treated, according to Prof Chan, who is Singapore's Representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. "It should not be the law that forces us to do so. We should treat them well, feed them adequately, allow rest time, and abuse of workers should be ruled out," she said in an opening speech at an event organised by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, or Home.

Winter: Fight harder, do more for FDWs, make them be more pampered, unappreciative and become ungrateful human beings.Make FDW's employers be frightened of maids and don't dare to dish out extra juicy benefits .... which is to go beyond her entitlement as FDW in Spore.HOME is a place that takes in bad maid, ill-treated or princess-attitude maids. My sister's ex-princess Filipino maid was an example. That maid runaway to seek 'refuge at HOME' and claimed she wasn't treated well. HOME arranged interviews for her to find better employers and got a shock to find out that she was trying to fly home, 'abandon ship' - make her employer bear her maid loan, repatriation, etc. She has no intention to remain in Spore and be 'exploited' or treated like a real maid. She was a mummy's darling in her country but took a job in Spore to run away from family problem 发小姐脾气. She has land and considered well-off. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^Transient Workers Count To many foreign domestic workers’ welfare groups, maids getting into relationships should be accepted, for the very fact that they are human too and have their needs.Social activists like Mr John Gee, the immediate past president of Transient Workers Count Too, said employers shouldn’t stop their maids from having relationships, but educate their maids on love and sex, and set boundaries for them to abide by.One maid, Miss Rajbeer Kaur, 26, counts herself lucky that her employers accept her relationship with her fiance, a construction worker here.“I guess they trust me and I follow their rules and never try to disobey them,” said Miss Kaur.

Winter: When employer's trust is abused, maids ended up with love affairs (read) or become pregnant (read) and tried to 'destroy evidence' of motherhood.Such 'killer' or persons who violated MOM's work permit T&C should be encouraged?Maids, you chose a job, nobody forced you to step into local maid agency and pay overseas recruitment fee (maid loan). You were interviewed and accepted the terms & conditions with open eyes, to work in Spore. Unhappy, felt your source country treats your better, be a flirt, stay there, don't fly to Spore and take advantage of employers. Don't blame us for your own decisions!

Don't give excuse for being bad in Spore. Don't come here to enjoy life like you've just been 性解放 爱的自由 不必承担后果 坐享其人之福

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

May 2014

This Facebook claimed it is employers' obligation to let them recoup their investment so we are not suppose to send them home without their agreement - repatriation.

Copied from Maid's Facebook. Sorry no hyperlink. Google search yourself and you'll find this 'popular maid' - the Facebook page owner slamming employers, making herself and her 'sisters' looked like weaklings and bullied.

FB Maid: The Employer have so much power, the maid have to stay in their house and face pressure, anger, shouting and screaming. AND the employer can anytime send the maid back to their country without need reasons - so.... you are stupid if you think the contract have any meaning.

Just like everything else in Singapore, government of Singapore, you hide behind contracts and pretend that everything is OK. That's lie. You think contract work perfect? Why don't you think of what happens if the contract not respected, if the people who sign the contract is like in prison (Winter: In the first place, you shouldn't have itchy backside, stepped into your home country agency to offer money. If you haven't been greedy and daydreaming, you won't be here 'suffering and whinning'), cannot even complain or don't know how to complain if the contract is not respected? Can't even understand the contract?

The employer can force the maid to do anything. They have power to beat, scold, scream, cause the maid money loss, and send back the maid to her country and get free replacement maid. (Winter: Really? Tell me who I can employ and feel the POWER (Master of the Universe) instead of now bullied by FDWs, giving in and giving in to feed her ego)

Time to look at the real humanity, and have some compassion for the weakest members of your country - the maids. Please I beg you, because lives are at stake. (Winter: at stake? What's MOM doing? It has all the while been very pro-maid, how could there be FDWs living/suffering cruelty?)

Frances: If Singapore is such a bad place to come to work, please spread to all your friends and families " Dont come SG to work." Look for a greener pasture.

FB Maid: Frances, What you say seems logical but I assure you it's not. How do you feel if people tell you - if you don't like your country get a few million foreigners into Singapore, why don't you pack your bags and move to another country like Myanmar or Malaysia or Australia?

You won't right? Not because you are citizen, but because you have invest your money, time or effort in this country. The maids in Singapore, have invested their money, time and effort to come to Singapore. If they have not invested anything, of course, no problem to move to Hong Kong if they don't like it here.

So frances, next time put on thinking cap and say something more justifiable, that will greatly add value to this discussion. What you say now is the same green stuff which comes out of a baby.

Sharon: No employer had forced FDW to leave home and fly to SG to work. FDWs came after weighing the pros and cons. If maids felt they are pitiful, worked like slaves, don't stay in SG, go home!! Get your own govt to provide you a good life. There is no need to bad mouthed employer as if Sg own u a living!!

If Sg employer is abusing the FDW, FDW can report to MOM and get her employer severely punished. Those not really abused or ill-treated, can choose to shed some crocodile tears to get their employers into trouble. The truth is never offensive or too harsh to accept, unless to those that can't face it and wanted excuses to justify their self-righteous, prefer to live in an unrealistic world.

FB Maid: Sharon, It's hard to reason with people spouting hysterics. Just keep in mind that contracts only work among people with people who have the resources to uphold the contract, and a contract with one who does not have these resources, is an unfair contract. In my country, unfair contracts are dealt with as they should - reasonably and oppressive sentences cannot be upheld.

For those who voice out when they are ill treated, we don't worry too much for them. Who we worry for, are those who keep quiet and suffer, and abused until they have to go to hospital. And as mentioned, those who made an investment to come into Singapore, cannot simply leave without fairly recouping their investment or having compensation for investing in a raw deal. And do some research - the policy of government to put all the power into the hands of employers - especially the power to send maids back without reason required (thus, forcing the maid to forfeit all the investment she has had put into coming to Singapore) - is an extremely lopsided power which should be questioned and reformed.

Vhogz Villarico: Its really true...Very well said...I hope nd pray that one of this day i can take my money back coz my agent deducted me 8 &1/2 months..then i wish my last employer banned so cannot take another helper.coz they send me backhome without my knowledge.we agreed that they send me to my agency but they send me to changi airport..very unfair nd selfish human...!!!

Leah Mallari: Very well said.. Sometimes, those written in the contract are not implemented..helpers were put in the situation that seems they are under at their employers mercy..they cant complain or else theu will be send back to agency or worst repatriated.. Helpers should know their rights.

Jovinz Espiritu: I hope goverment in singapore will do the right action....many fdw really suffer from their employer and agent and its true that our standard contract is never follow...and I wonder why until now the gov. Still blind about this.

Loise Madrid: First thing.. maids are just any other employee around singapore, they've legal contracts to follow throughout their stay with their employers. dear FDw lesson here is before you sign a contract please read it carefully, if you dont fully understand Do clarify, if you need to have translated in your own dialect, please do (coz that what i did, i literally translated it im tagalog, although I am filipino so as not to.let her feel cheated) youre just being cateful cause its for your sake.. i think it's a practice by most agency to deduct 6-8 mos of your salary, if FDW isnt agreeable then don't sign but in most cases because of the need FDW has no choice but to sign that is the 1st challenge, who wants to work without being paid ?!

The 2nd challenge whether u'll end up with a.reasonable employer.. if you're not lucky an FDW will be abused by their boss.. no day off, a sleeping quarters which is very uncomfortable, salary not on time & )lot more. It takes 2 to tango , FDw is good then employer is satisfied HARMONY.. maybe the 2. locals who vented their frustration here experienced the con maid thats why their like that but my comment to them is don't generalized all FDW there are better ones too.

if employer is putting cctv in their houses to watch what your doing then itll be wise to do the same thru a logbook cause FDW is not high tech.. Youre in a foreign land and you have to.be wise too on how you can protect your self..Bring the matter to MOM if employer break any part of the.contract.

Winter: Activists have spolit FDWs. Modern FDWs just know how to blame Employers for not getting the 'sweets' they desired. They are at fault but refused to point fingers on themselves.

These Facebook maids still didn't understand what employers are trying to emphasize. Claimed they cannot leave Spore because they have invested. Our fault?In the first place, who forced FDWs to fly over? They had itchy backsides, stepped into their home country agencies to offer money... of course no agent will turn them away so they became merchandises, meat on the chopping board. Once in Spore, FDWs pretend cheated, underpaid, treated like slaves, act clueless or can't accept the local contract terms ....turned the table and claimed employers no good, terror, sent them home without allowing them to 'recoup' (repatriation), didn't give them human rights, etc. If Spore is so bad, the thought of coming to Spore shouldn't have exist. If you didn't come, you would have saved your investment and need not take up unglam FDW jobs.... complaining, shredding crocodile tears and pushing the blame to your ill-fated employers, aren't you despicable? If you had been a good worker, who would want to make you leave? It is not free nor cheap to employ FDW! We are not expatriates who can easily earn S$10,000 each month. My salary is only about 2% of Prime Minister Lee.

Life is harsh, the truth is there but you people (haven't gone thru harsh life/born with golden spoon) like to think I've exaggerated, don't believe what I'm going thru. Why not you come to my house and replace my role for 6 months? Pretend you're the mother (no need to be wife lah) of a special needs child, no maid, just housework, the house, special school education, caring the child, facing uncaring or lip service grassroots/ministers/social workers ... bring you to those days when I was a full-time homemaker with tight budget (the 'working hours' will be longer than my FDW, no off day, no spare spending money), then tell me how many days you can survive, am I telling the truth, have you been blinded/cheated by wolves in disguise .... etc.

Most ridiculous is FB maid saying Citizens should leave our country so that foreigners can come over and dig gold - recover their losses/investment. Make way, get lost, let FDWs' 'investment' be multiplied easily, give FDWs an easy path so as to make quick bucks and vacate (foreigners will leave Spore after earning enough)... return to enjoy good life in home country.... did I get your message correct? Spore is a safe haven and gives good money so foreigners want to rob our lives, our jobs, our country ... our birth place! It is not about investment. We were born here, educated and grew up here, our parents, family, friends and relatives are here in this tiny red dot. Those rich or cream of crop (able to get overseas appointment) can leave Spore. There's nowhere people like me can migrate... we're stuck here!

You think I don't want to live in a country like yours, low costs of living, plenty of cheap land, kampong lifestyle (carefree life) ...even if you don't work for 1 or 2 months, you won't die! In Spore, you can't survive. Everything needs money. You leave the house you need to spend. You stay in your own HDB unit (house) not working for 1 or 2 months, who is going to provide/pay your food, electricity, water, housing loan, insurance, education, children/your transport & others, medical, toiletries, etc? Can you Grow your own crops or Rear your own chicken, pigs and cows in a HDB flat? Crazy, posting nonsense, mislead people and still think you are right!

Reader, if you are really a Sporean, can you accept such remarks? If you had all the while been a FDW's activist, if maid says this (leave your country) to you, do you smile and encourage more FDWs to be like her?

Foreigners, the so-call vulnerable/submissive/pathetic/poor FDWs are suggesting citizens to get lost! You're protecting and finding excuses for them to fleece employers. Such human deserves your unconditional protection and compassion? FDWs want everything (be it an entitlement as per MOM or rewards for being our FDWs), still think not enough, underpaid... we owe them a good living? They blame Employers for their plights. They like to accuse Employers for not giving them good lives (high pay, little work, plenty pleasure time, constant attention on their mobile phones) at our expense.... fair, makes sense? MOM said FDWs can sponge on us? Agencies painted such juicy pictures to FDWs?

This is how an activist thinks .... "Only when domestic workers are treated with fairness, respect and decency by agents and employers should we ask that they be properly selected and trained. Domestic workers are employees, yet have virtually no rights in Singapore."After reading my blog throughly or you, as an "ill-fated" FDW's employer, do you feel like crying?Do you feel like punching this activist? Maid agency made fast money and has no risks nor liabilities to bear, even if a bad maid or maid with poor working mentality was recruited, maid agencies are still smiling and keeping the sweet money they easily took from employers. Our fault to hire FDW? Blame our bad luck? Employers didn't try their best to please the maids and make FDWs feel 'human', have lots of privacy, feel well reward with only 30-50% work done, etc? If maids are really of good quality, how much of bad luck would there be in the market? There won't be so many transfer maids if all the three parties (agency, FDW, employer) are clear and honest - transparent about MOM contract terms, FDW's job scope, maid's expectation, off day needed, mobile phone restriction (house rules), etc.If agencies insisted maids and employers must pay at least S$800 to $3000 to establish a relationship, why the middlemen (agencies) have no assurance to offer us? MOM has been allowing maid agencies to earn heartless money from us. We are at the losing ends, have you spared a thought for us? We merely wanted a good helping hand. For people who hired maids due to real neccessity, we would want the maid to be happy so that she can stay long and be able delighted to lighten my loads, take good care of my girl so that we could work peacefully. Is it really too much to get maid agencies to do quality control and ensure good job matching? Is it right for activists to keep pinning down the employers?Note: This writer's name doesn't look local.

I agree with the comments in the letters “Maid agencies must ensure maids are fit to work here” (April 15) and “Employment agencies must do more to improve quality of maids, training” (April 16). However, the letters were a little one-sided.

While employers are right in worrying about their workers, let us pay a little more consideration to the quality of employers too. Domestic workers are employees, yet have virtually no rights in Singapore.

They are brought here by agencies whose objective is to make quick money. The workers must pay hefty placement fees; in most other jobs, the employers pay such fees. If employers want to ensure agencies work for them, they should be required to pay these placement fees.

Is it fair to ask someone making barely S$500 a month to pay S$3,000 for finding the job?

Let us continue by informing workers properly about the duties they will need to perform and ensuring they agree in writing. Agencies must be careful in selecting employers, as many in Singapore are not fit to employ domestic workers.

These agencies, which are well rewarded, should be fully responsible for ensuring both employers and employees respect the terms of the contract in writing and for providing avenues of redress in cases where either party is unsatisfied. Only when domestic workers are treated with fairness, respect and decency by agents and employers should we ask that they be properly selected and trained.

Somebody posted this and he/she felt we (or ME??) is a disgrace.

How true, if you're not blinded and stubbornly sided the FDWs, you should know!

I believe it your rights to overpay the maid but most local employers felt FDWs DON'T deserve a salary of S$950 and we have not short-changed our FDWs. We are law abiding citizens and all FDWs are well protected by the Ministry of Manpower, at Employers' expenses.

I wonder whether you have looked at the mirror and see how hideous you look. Yes, you've paid your FDW very well, about 2 times more than the usual FDWs. You are making the market to be unbalanced and bringing unnecessary problems to the employers. We've a standard contract to follow, no FDWs were cheated or short-changed. If you have plenty of money to offer your FDW, go ahead but you shouldn't say we're in the wrong or a disgrace.

You've disgraced yourself by not looking at our costs of living, our salary and sparing a thought for others. You didn't compare apples to apples. I believe you're educated to do proper comparison ... just a matter of whether you want or not.

Every country has different culture and LIVING COSTS. You or spouse's monthly salary could be 10 times of mine, you think this is normal? You felt it is right to make remarks that doesn't fit into our context. Your maid could be eating only 1 to 5% of your salary. It really isn't much if you look in the form of percentage. But if using my salary, it is a a lot of difference! Be an asshole somewhere else. Don't pollute Spore.

You posted here for what? Is it a joy to land your feet on others? What you commented showed you didn't read well. I posted with facts and not hearsay.

You didn't live here nor know the locals' living costs and salary. Don't show your wilful and obstinate ignorance ... stop acting like you are a nice person or life saviour. As I always say, only those who have been bullied by bad maids (both mentally and financially) will know the taste. No activist will understand without going thru the ordeal.

8 comments:

A lot of expats dun know e culture here n talk about human right. I saw maids are allowed by their expat's boss to use e facilities in condo eg pool despite of e house rules n by law not allow it. They also can use e bbq pits n invite their frens. They argued maids are their family member. They accused local of being discriminative n cruel to their maids. They really spoilt e market.

SG employers must do something about this Princess maid attitude. I believe when people are sincere and honest in doing their work, they should be loved and treasured. But when they come to SG to take advantage of their employers and scream 'abuse' when they don't have things their way, they should be deported and not allowed back into SG again. People come in good or bad packages - employers and employees alike. But now, only employees get protected. NOT employers. I would say SG employers must push for more rights to protect themselves.

The next time you hire a maid you should really consider someone older,, a healthy 40-50-60 year-old. Your girl doesn't require heavy lifting right? Older more mature, less connected to phone, likes kids more.

And/or, pay less up front - you pay high above minimum because your kid is special needs - but this attracts greedy people who didn't think about the hardship - knowing they could quit, pocketting the higher monthly salary already in hand - and knowing how dependent you are.

So see if you can find a maid with minimum monthly plus promise of huge bonus on renewal - deter greedy, encourage stay.

If you find a mature candidate unlikely to get pregnant, you can use $ saved by only paying the minimum to hire a sitter to give her more days off - this avoid burnt out. People view high paying jobs with bad conditions as short term.

Especially when maid is young and dumb. Check to see if it's legal to garnish (after agreement in contract) maid's wages for medical insurance for maid - this will cover any accidents she'll have at less expense to you, and less monthly /leisure money/(remember, they don't pay rent/food) less trouble. See if it's legal in Singapore for you pay part of her salary in saving bonds - bonds that could only be cashed out at certain times of the year.

Agency already garnished them for less valuable returns than healthcare and bonds that earn!

Hi! In Spore, we have a minimum salary to pay FDW +living expenses/benefits, insurance, agency fee, etc ... which amount to about S$1500 per month per FDW. My maid/FDW is 37 years old but doesn't appear sensible and mature. Getting somebody above 40, in my circumstance is way too old/tedious to care for my energetic 'big baby' girl.

FDW who has completed 2-year contract and renewing with same employer is given 10% salary increment, a return ticket and 15 days paid leave = standard perk. Currently, MOM doesn't allow FDW to live out. Those who live-out are mostly employed by expat employers who either don't care or don't mind paying fine if found they have breached the law.

Live-out doesn't make sense - it's the shortage of local maids willing to live in after-all, that necessitate import in Singapore and in Hong Kong (I'm from Hong Kong). By days off, I mean simply entire days where she doesn't have to report to anyone - oh, does it break the live in rule if your maid even spend one night elsewhere?

To be 37 and still this irresponsible with money is shameful, but 37 is still young enough to be caught up in social media, a Generation X. Oh, from some of your other post, I thought you had a 7 year old that was somewhat mobility impaired. It really does sound like you would do better with a local nanny, if you can find one. I don't know what's wrong with your FTW: unlike Erwiana in Hong Kong, it's not like she has a slavedriver standing over her shoulder - she has the run of the house since you both work - basically it's like she's a stay-at-home mom that gets paid. With rent and food covered - she has ZERO living expense - other than her phone (so why does the law even make you pay for her ticket?).

Maybe you can post your local-nanny-notices somewhere where the kind of people who care enough to volunteer with special needs people can see it? Like, if there is a local reading to the blind program in your area, post notice outside their center! The problem with FTW is that they are coming from a poor* place and they are being offered a lot of money to do something they seem to really hate - spent time with children or elderly. Why else would they say they'll die inside without their phone, 'isolated', when they have the company of adorable kids or old people with stories.. If a FTW or anyone for that matter, spends all day on the phone - what does she have to talk about anyways?

*poor: this is going to sound really politically incorrect, but when someone is from a backwater dirt-poor third-world country, and they see you who have so much more than them, they may justify stealing from you because you have more, or mistreating you because hey, if their life weren't easy, why should theirs be? A few years ago, my grandmother in Hong Kong hired an Indonesian maid - awful, stole so many things, irreplacable things, like a pair of ivory chopsticks engraved with grandfather's name (this was before the ivory ban) - maid stole my dead grandfather's things from my grandmother! Gran's mind was going and she was alone with the maid, and the first maid took full advantage, didn't feed her propertly either - goodness knows what would have happened if there wasn't an uncle who went to check on her. Second maid was better, hopefully didn't steal anything, but she at least took much better care of gran that my mother gave her extra money. For the most part though, I would never trust a FTW enough to let one into my home, crossing my fingers I won't ever need one - completely different values. ...and good luck to you on finding a better one or a local nanny!

Here is my story:I employ an Indian maid from India ,I got her contact through one of our friend who doesn't know her closely.Since we want maid urgently we hire her,before hiring I told her that you must take care of the kids very well.But she was on the other way she can do house work but she dont have patients to take care of kids .She even tried to abuse my little one who was only 4 moths that time infront of my mother inlow.She wants the my daughter to sleep always ,even though my inlaw was telling me that she is not good I dint think that she is this much until I saw in Camera she was trying to push milk bottle to my daughter and show anger face to her at last when she was crying put her down and my baby cry and she was looking at the TV,my mother in law was in the bathroom.unluckily I didn't save that clip As i just on my computer and I was in a shock to see her like this,we talked to her if she continue like that we will send her home, few days she was ok and later on did the same even I notice her nail mark on my daughter ,then we decided to sent her back,But there are a lot of maid in neighborhood she told them bad about us ...

My parents came in to help me as they cannot stay for long time ,we got a new maid through my friend ,she is taking care of kids and cooking,I give her alot of respect even before I have my food I ask her to eat starting she was good around 2 weeks later started showing her face ,telling that she wants to get more salary ..other house maid getting this and that ,,and she sleeps when my baby sleep(Morning after I left home until 9.45am)again my girl sleep at around 12 she also sleep..and in the afternoon also,,,,and when ever we ask something ..shout on us...now a days avoiding to ask her even if see something...only i think that she take care of my kids...and one day she said she got better offer...then we said you can go there ...next day morning she said if u increase my salary she will not go ,,,but we know that this is her trick we said you can go....she was sticking me saying that you may not get a maid who take care of kids like me...and many more ....I said you dont worry about that...I was thinking how to avoid her and I got a chance....she asked not to cancel her WP..and alot of drama ...and maid her brother to call us and negotiate and assure that she will not do such things again.....we agreed to pay her few $$ and give her 10 days holiday to visit her family...few days se was ok..now started showing the same face....Iam really stressed and also scared will the next made will take care of my kids if I leave her...she bother us too much,...even check what all things we buy....what we talk..etc....always on phone also...Iam very stressed as my maid act as my owner ...and i cant react as she is taking care of my kids when I am not around... GIVES ME ALOT OF HEAD ACHE.........PLEASE ADVICE WHAT TO DO WITH THIS TYPE OF MAID...

Email MOM. MOM need to wakeup from dreamland. Just a few voices isn't enough, employers ought to gather and get MOM to press on maid agencies. In your case, direct hire means the policies have to stop being so pro-maid.

Make full use of your cameras, email what your maid did to MOM. Sounds like both maids weren't chosen, more like introduce to you and you didn't really screen them. Maybe try transfer maid, interview a few. Employers nowadays have to worry the next maid could be worst.

This maid of yours looks worse than mine. Sigh, with a lousy MOM and PAP doing their best to please foreigners, source countries and investors, we got to sacrifice so that they can have a good score card. Source countries threaten again and again to stop allowing women to work as FDWs so get a childcare centre, don't let yourself be blackmailed if you've other option.

I hate my maid. First of all, she's a terrible liar. Like once, I had my tennis racquet in my closet. Than one day, my dad wanted to use it. I checked my closet, and it wasn't there. I eventually found it in the storage room, tucked in between to bags. Now first of all, my dad would keep it where he found it, my mom would keep it in my room because she knew it was mine, and my sister would have the same reaction as my dad, and believe me, I asked all of them. That left the maid, she always does things like this, yet when we asked her if she'd ever seen the racquet, she said no. And another time, I put my locker keys in my closet, the next day when I went to school, I couldn't find it. I looked everywhere until my sister found it IN HER CLOSET. When we asked the maid, she said she found it in the floor of my sisters room. First of all, my sister doesn't even LET me GO INTO HER ROOM. So how would it get there? Maybe it walked from my closet to the floor of her room? Everyone else knows its mine. And she tags along everywhere. For example, my family was going to a restaurant, as a family trip. When we went downstairs we found her dressed and ready to go. My dad thought it was rude to leave her, so she came, annoyed but I have no choice.